Torn
by Bluebird0032
Summary: Mark finds himself torn between his badge, his Pa, and the woman he loves. 3 part story, could come after "The Principle," But otherwise not connected to other stories.
1. Chapter 1

The hot New Mexico sun beat down on the tall, blond rancher as he wiped a well worn handkerchief across his forehead and once again put his hat back on his head. Looking up at the sky, the man figured they had about six more hours of daylight before they would have to call for camp. Turning his head at the sound of an upset horse, Lucas caught sight of his son just before Mark was sent tumbling to the hard, dusty ground. Digging his heels into Razor's flanks and weaving his way through the cattle, Lucas hurried towards his son as he called Mark's name.

"Mark, are you alright, Son?" The rancher dismounted and knelt beside his son as Mark lied on the ground in a daze. "Mark, can you hear me?" Lucas asked as he slowly helped his son sit up.

Shaking his head as he tried to get his bearings, Mark grabbed onto his Pa's arm to steady himself, waiting a brief moment before finally letting go. "Just a bit rattled is all. If this horse throws me one more time…"

"What are you going to do, walk?" Lucas chuckled as he helped Mark to his feet, noticing his son favoring his right leg. "You sure you're alright, Mark?"

"Yeah, I'll live. Riding Blue Boy my whole life I guess I forgot how gentle he is compared to other horses. Although this horse lacks a whole lot more than gentleness."

"This horse isn't used to cattle drives, either. At least Blue Boy will be waiting for you when you get back home."

"I could kick myself for riding home so late that night," Mark answered as he and Lucas mounted up again. "Then I wouldn't be riding ole Thumper. I should've stayed in town."

"I suppose it was just as well anyway; you know Nils said the leg had already been sprained. That last little trip just did him in, and better ten minutes from home than halfway to the middle of nowhere. That would've been one MORE thing to go wrong on this cattle drive."

"How's Sam doing? I saw him rubbing that shoulder of his not too long ago."

"He's hanging in there; I suggested he have a doctor look at it tonight, but he insists he's fine."

"If I didn't know any better I'd say the cattle and horses are conspiring against us."

"I don't have a doubt in my mind," Lucas replied with a chuckle, slapping his son's shoulder. "I'll cover the back for a while, why don't you ride farther up the line?"

"You sure that's good for you, Pa? I don't know if you need to be choking on all that trail dust."

"I'll be choking on it wherever I ride - and just what makes you think there's anything wrong with me?" Lucas asked with raised eyebrows and a defensive look in his eye.

"I hate to say it, Pa," Mark began with feigned seriousness, "But you're just not as young as you used to be. All those gray hairs are a big sign of a condition Doc calls… "aging"."

"And I wonder just how I happened to get all of these gray hairs?"

"Your memory must be going too, Pa. Don't you remember the day Lou came to town?"

"Get going." Lucas shook his head and grinned as he hit the rump of Mark's horse. "And keep an eye on Trouble; she's living up to the name you gave her!"

"That cow earned it!"

The afternoon wore on as cattle and horses picked their way through the barren land. The men softly hummed as they moved in and out of the herd, trying to keep the thirsty stock calm. As Mark worked the cattle, he was hit again by the realization of how much their herd had grown over the last few years. They had certainly been blessed.

It was late afternoon when Mark's concentration was broken, one of the hands hollering at him.

"Hey Mark, you have a prisoner escaping!"

Mark looked up to see Sam pointing past Mark and up a slope. He reigned his horse in and started towards the calf, which saw him coming and bolted. As Mark gave chase and started working his way right of the calf, Sam came up and around the other side. The calf slipped between them a couple times before they had it trapped and started walking it back towards the herd.

"Thanks, Sam."

"No problem." Sam took a drink from his canteen before turning to Mark again, "I'm sure you're looking forward to getting back to North Fork where the only thing you have to chase is Mrs. Maguire and her complaints away from the jail."

"Don't get me wrong, I love being Micah's deputy, but ranching is in my blood. I wouldn't give this life up for anything."

"Well don't get me wrong- you and your Pa pay good and I appreciate the job, but I don't know how you mess with these pests year round."

"Gotta be your calling, I guess," Mark answered with a chuckle. "You said you're moving on after this; where ya headed?"

"I don't know quite yet. Maybe Colorado or California."

"I take it you don't have a job lined up then?"

"I'll find something. Someone is always needing extra help, doing something. Worst case I can always find a hotel and trade doing the dishes for food. That's how I got started in North Fork."

"Pa said you grew up out east. What drove you out here?"

"My father," Sam laughed. "He's a prominent lawyer in Massachusetts, and was all set to put me through law school and have me join his firm. I grew up being told what my future was and never really thought anything about doing anything differently until half way through my first semester. I realized I hate court, and school, and anything with fancy wording. So, much to my father's displeasure, I dropped out of school. He made it clear I wasn't welcome to live at home, so here I am."

"Living in the city I'm sure you didn't ride horses all the time; how'd you learn? You seem like you've been riding your whole life."

"I have been. My cousins on my mother's side had horses and they had me over all the time."

"Anybody back home you're missing?" Mark asked with a mischievous gleam in his eye.

"Anybody back in North Fork you're missing?" Sam shot back.

"No, and I don't suppose there will be for some time."

"What makes you say that? North Fork's got plenty of pretty gals."

"I just haven't found the one yet. And there's a lot more to getting married than looks."

"What about Lorrie?"

Mark raised his hands and shook his head as he answered, "I wash my hands of that one, Lorrie's gotten me into more trouble than I care to talk about. Anything you've heard has been concocted by her… or Lou. That woman is determined to see me married by my next birthday."

"Good luck," Sam laughed. "If Miss Mallory sets her mind to something…"

"She has a way of causing a whole lot of trouble in tryin' to get it done," Mark stated, remembering some of Lou's disaster-causing aspirations. "She's like an aunt to me, but some times… I pity the man that marries her."

"You and me both. She can swing a good rat tail with a kitchen towel!"

Neither one had realized how close to the back of the herd they had drifted to until Lucas interrupted their conversation.

"You two gonna sit there gabbing or get some work done? I'm not paying you to complain about Lou all day."

"Lest I checked, you weren't paying me for anything," Mark teasingly retorted.

"You want to sleep in the barn when we get back home?"

"Well if it gets me away from your snoring…" Mark kicked his horse and rode farther up the line.

"Mr. McCain, what you have with your son… it's something special. Don't lose it."

Lucas looked after Sam as the man rode farther up the trail, initially confused by the hand's comment. Yet as he thought, Lucas realized that what he had with his son was something special, something very special. Something that not many fathers and sons were able to share; a mutual love and respect for each other. Lucas's gaze shifted away from Sam and to Mark; a faint smile crossing his face as he remembered the day his wife told him they were going to have a child. Lucas thought about the months of preparation that followed and the day that Mark finally came into their lives. Lucas remembered Mark's first steps, the first time Mark sat in the saddle with Lucas; the day Lucas sat Mark in a saddle by himself. Lucas remembered Mark's first day of school, the nights he spent fighting Mark on doing his school work when they were traveling around. He remembered the look on his son's face when they decided to settle in North Fork. The memories went on and on and on… until Lucas found himself looking at the grown man his son was.

Lucas chuckled as the smile on his face grew. When did his son grow up?

Several hours later, Lucas started calling for camp. The hands worked to settle the cattle and set up camp for the evening. After supper, a few of the hands approached Lucas.

"What can I do for you boys?"

"We were wondering if a few of us could ride into town, blow off a little steam?"

"Anybody that gets into a fight or comes back drunk isn't getting paid at the end of this drive," Lucas warned before giving an approving nod.

As the hands took off, Lucas noticed Sam taking a seat by the fire.

"You're not going with them?"

"I know myself too well and want to get paid after eating trail dust for two weeks."

Lucas nodded in understanding. "There's some more beans if you're still hungry."

"Thanks, Mr. McCain, but I'm plenty full. I think I had about five of Mrs. McCain's biscuits."

"My wife didn't make those, she died a long time ago."

"I'm sorry, I…"

"Don't worry about it. Mark has perfected her recipe; I could never get them to turn out right."

"Mark?" Sam tried to cover his laugh with a cough. "I didn't know Mark cooked."

"He got tired of my cooking," Lucas replied with a chuckle.

"Hey, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do," Mark called as he walked towards them. "Although don't let Pa fool you. He can make a mean chocolate cake."

Sam couldn't help himself and stopped trying to hide his laughter.

"I'm sorry," Sam chuckled. "Just hearing stories around saloons I never envisioned The Rifleman wearing an apron."

"I have an image to keep you know," Lucas replied with a smile.

"So have you always lived in North Fork?" Sam asked, changing the subject.

"No, we lived in Oklahoma before my Ma passed away, when I was six," Mark answered. "We travelled around some before deciding to call North Fork home."

"How'd North Fork take to you being there? I mean, reputations and all…"

Lucas looked to Mark to answer and listened as his son told Sam about their first few days in North Fork. As Sam listened he could hear the pride in Mark's voice as he spoke about Lucas. But unlike when Mark was younger, it wasn't because of the rifle that the pride was there. Mark spoke of His Pa with respect, because of who he was as a man.

"Was it hard growing up with your Pa's reputation?" Sam asked.

"There were times," Mark answered as he knowingly looked to Lucas. "But we got through it. I think the hardest part for me when I was younger was that my Pa wouldn't allow me a rifle until I was fifteen. I begged him for a rifle, but I'm glad he didn't give in. I got into enough trouble as it was!"

"Slingshots and spitballs?" Sam asked, remembering his own childhood.

Mark nodded as he chuckled.

"Not all his slingshot experiences got him in trouble though," Lucas said.

With Sam's curiosity piqued, Lucas told Sam about the time Mark's slingshot had come in handy and saved a senator's life.

**1MC1**

The next morning Lucas woke, sensing someone beside him. He sat up and turned to see Mark reaching for Lucas's saddle bag.

"Sorry to wake you, Pa," Mark apologized. "I was just getting the coffee."

"What time is it?" Lucas asked, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Just after four-thirty; sun should be up before too terribly long."

"How's your ankle? You were still limping last night."

"I reckon I'll be limping for a few days, I landed on it funny."

"Should I take a-" Lucas stopped short as Mark raised his eyebrows. "You may be nineteen, but you're still my son, and I have a right to be concerned about you. Besides, if you bust your leg up any more, you won't be able to help out with the chores when we get home." Lucas tried to put a teasing spin on his worry, knowing Mark wasn't twelve anymore.

"I'll be fine, just as long as Thumper doesn't throw me again."

Lucas hesitated, wanting to offer to swap horses for the day, but knowing the offer would make his son feel like he was being treated like a child.

"I know what you're thinking, and I can handle Thumper just fine. I don't need you getting thrown all over the country side; you might break an arm and leave me with all the dishes!"

"Alright," Lucas answered with a chuckle before changing his tone. "Mark… have you talked to Brady much? I haven't been able to get more than a few words out of him here or there and… something just seems… off to me. You know I'm not one to jump to conclusions, but…"

"I know what you mean, he's kinda been "off" this entire drive. I tried striking up a conversation with him after we called for camp last night, but he didn't exactly say much. I was somewhat surprised when he didn't go to town with the rest of the guys last night. Last year he was begging and pleading almost every time we got near a town. Though Melissa might have finally talked some sense into him and convinced him to stop drinking and all, with the baby coming."

"With the-" Lucas quietly laughed so to not wake the hands. "So that's why he's so quiet."

"What's so funny?" Mark looked curiously between his Pa and where Brody slept.

"I remember the year your Ma was expecting you and I not only had to take our cattle to market, but also needed to make some money and helped a few other ranchers out. Every time I had to leave your Ma I was a complete nervous wreck. She later told me she was glad I had to be gone, because I was hovering over her so much when I was home it made her nervous."

"What makes everyone so nervous about it? It's just a baby, these things happen every day."

Lucas couldn't help himself and let out another bout of laughter as he answered, "Son, remind me to ask you that same question when you're expecting your first. You'll understand-"

"When I'm older?" Lucas nodded. "…And I thought I was done hearing that from you."

"We all thought we were done hearing that when we were your age. You're going to be hearing it for the rest of your life. But Mark, know that when I say it now, it's not because I don't think you're a man. There are things in life you simply can't understand until you're older."

"I understand, Pa," Mark answered with a nod. "You gonna try to catch some more shut eye?"

"And let you burn breakfast?" Lucas teased as he reached for his boots. "No thanks."

Father and son worked together to get a simple breakfast for the hands prepared. After a week on the trail, everyone was getting tired of biscuits and jerky. As the sun began to rise and warm the dessert, the hands slowly started slipping from their bed rolls and preparing to break camp later that morning. Mark took the lead that morning with Lucas half way down the line. The hands were scattered throughout the herd and continued to work the cattle as they had the days before. Mid-morning, Lucas heard his son calling him and looked up to see Mark motioning Lucas to come to the front. Lucas barely had to shift his weight forward before Razor started picking up pace and heading for Mark.

"Something the matter, Son?"

"Pa, Thumper's getting agitated and starting to act up. I'm going to circle around and ask Brady to work farther up the line so I can take the back. If Thumper starts acting up again, I don't want to risk setting the cattle off and spooking them into another stampede."

"Sounds good. Don't be afraid to get off and walk him for a little bit. Sometimes their backs-" Lucas stopped and shook his head, knowing Mark knew more about horses than he did. "Let me know if you need anything. I'll probably call for a stop to rest the horses in about an hour."

Mark nodded and Lucas watched as his son turned the horse around and headed towards the back of the heard. Lucas looked ahead and was thankful to see clouds in the distance, knowing a break from the sun was needed for the men and animals.

Shortly before noon, Lucas called for a water break and the men slowly brought the cattle to a stop. Lucas went to each of the hands to see if there was anything they had seen that was concerning and he was glad to hear that nothing was out of the ordinary… until Lucas realized his son was no where to be seen.

"Brady, have you seen Mark?"

"Not since he asked me to work farther up the line," Brady replied as he looked around.

"Pete?" Lucas called as he started towards the man. "When was the last time you saw Mark?"

"About twenty minutes ago. He rode up and said he was going to walk his horse for a while; said Thumper wasn't really cooperating."

"We'll wait until he catches up with us then," Lucas answered.

But twenty minutes came and went, and Mark was no where to be seen. Lucas kept looking to the horizon, but never saw his son's figure appear. Finally getting up in the saddle, Lucas turned to the hands, "I'm going to look for Mark."

"I'll come with you," Sam offered, to which Lucas nodded his head.

The men rode, and while Sam thought about all the daylight they were losing, Lucas's only thought was on his son. Mark was too smart and too responsible for there not to be something wrong.

The men hadn't been riding long when they saw Thumper standing by himself. Lucas dismounted and approached the horse to see Mark's rifle still in the scabbard.

"Mark?!" Lucas called as he rested his hands on his hips and looked around.

Sam rode a ways further before stopping by a group of boulders and dismounting.

"Mr. McCain, over here!"

Hearing the urgency in the man's voice, Lucas ran towards Sam and caught up to him as the man opened his canteen and started pouring its contents onto an unconscious Mark's face. Both men called to Mark repeatedly, but there was nothing but dessert silence in response. Seeing the blood on the side of Mark's head, Lucas became increasingly worried.

"Well what do we do?" Sam asked, looking from Lucas to Mark, then back to Lucas again.

"I need you to go get the horses. I'll mount up have you pass Mark up to me. After that I want you to ride back to the herd and tell everyone to move the cattle about ten miles more and camp for the night, there's a town not far from that and hopefully they have a doctor."

Sam nodded in reply before springing into action. Lucas looked down into his son's face and let out a heavy sigh as he shook his head. "Hang in there, Mark…"

When Sam returned with the horses, Lucas mounted before Sam awkwardly passed Mark up to him. The hand then handed Thumper's reigns to Lucas before mounting his own horse. They rode together back towards the heard, but Lucas didn't stop to take time to explain things to the hands before continuing past them. As Lucas rode, he prayed for Mark to wake up as he tried hard to keep his son from falling out of the saddle. After a little over an hour of riding, Lucas saw a town coming into view. He wanted to kick Razor to go faster, but he knew it would be harder to keep Mark in the saddle and was worried that the added jostling would cause damage. When Lucas rode into town, he was oblivious to the strange stares he got from the people on the street.

"You need a doctor?" Someone offered.

Lucas looked up to answer a short, burly man, "Please, we had an accident out on the trail…"

The man turned to someone and told them to run for the doctor before offering to take Razor's reigns. Lucas wrapped both arms around his son as the man led his horse to a hitching rail outside a large building. Without saying a word, the man worked with Lucas to get Mark out of the saddle before helping him carry Mark inside the establishment.

"Jenny, we need a room," The man hollered to the woman standing behind the oak desk.

The woman gasped as she saw the side of Mark's bloody head and quickly retrieved a key before coming around the desk. "This way," the woman instructed before leading the men down a hall and to a room.

As Lucas and the man set Mark on the bed, the woman started pouring water into the basin and then began cleaning Mark's wound.

"Thank you, mister," Lucas offered, allowing himself to step away from his son briefly.

"Weren't nothing. The doctor should be here in a few-"

"I'm here," A middle aged man declared as he stepped into the room. "Thank you Miss Jenny, but may I examine the patient? And you," the doctor continued as he addressed Lucas, "You must be the one that brought him in. What happened? Thrown from his horse?"

"I assume so." As Lucas answered the doctor he stepped back towards the bed his son was on and was oblivious to the other two leaving the room. "We were taking our cattle to market and my son's horse had been giving him trouble. He had been at the back of the herd and when we stopped for water, Mark wasn't there. One of the hands said twenty minutes before we stopped Mark said he was going to walk his horse for a while… when he didn't turn up, we went looking and found him unconscious…"

"Well you're gonna have quite a nasty headache when you wake," the doctor chuckled as he gave a sympathetic sigh.

Lucas watched as the man continued to tend to his son and anxiously waited for him to finish.

"Well, I can't rightly say for certain how good or bad off he is, we'll have to wait until he wakes. He probably has a concussion and rattled his brain a bit. Right now he needs quiet so his body can finish getting over the shock of hitting his head like that. Give it a few hours and he should wake. We'll know more then. I'll be making my rounds and will check in right around supper time. If he wakes before then, get one of the bell boys to run for Doc Jamison."

"Thank you," Lucas replied as he stood to shake the man's hand, still shaken by what had happened.

"My pleasure, Mr. McCain."

"Do I know you?" Lucas asked as he looked at the man curiously.

"Me? No," the man laughed. "I saw the rifles in the scabbards when I was outside. Between that and your height, well… it wasn't that hard to figure. I'll have someone bring the rifles up."

"Thank you, Doc."

"Don't worry, he's alive, and he'll eventually mend," the doctor answered, still hearing the concern the rancher held for his son in the man's voice. "If you need anything, holler."

**2MC2**

Mark woke, immediately feeling the intense, throbbing pain in his head. He lifted his hand to his temple to rub the side of his head, but regretted it as soon as he touched the bruise. Mark's moan was interrupted by a voice beside him.

"It'll be sore for a while, you can count on that for sure."

Mark looked to his right to see a man, a little older than his Pa standing beside the bed. His graying black hair was thick and neatly combed back, revealing a scar on the man's left ear.

"Who are you?" Mark tried sitting up, the movement making him nauseous and dizzy.

The doctor saw the color draining from his patient's face and helped Mark lie back down as he replied, "I'm Dr. Jamison. And I think we should wait a while longer before you try sitting up."

"But what happened? Where am I?" Realizing Lucas wasn't there, Mark worriedly continued, "Where's my Pa? Is he alright?" Mark again started to sit up, but the doctor kept him down.

"Don't you worry none about your Pa, he's fine. I sent him down to get something to eat while I came up here to check on you. We were hoping you'd be able to fill us in on what happened, the only thing I can tell you is your father found you unconscious after you turned up missing."

Mark tried thinking back, but it was mostly a blur. The doctor could see the confusion on his patient's face and tried reassuring him, "Don't worry about it, you rattled your brain good. It'll be some time before you can remember everything that happened. Until then, you just need to rest and take it easy."

Both men turned there heads at the sound of the hotel room door swinging open. A relieved smile crossed Lucas's face as he saw that his son was awake. After closing the door behind him and setting his rifle in the corner of the room, Lucas took two long strides towards his son.

"Mark, it's good to see you awake." Lucas put a hand on his son's shoulder and looked into Mark's eyes, trying to assess his son's condition. "How do you feel?"

"I feel like I got kicked in the head by a horse," Mark replied with a slight grin.

"Is that what happened?" Lucas asked with concern.

"I don't remember. …Last thing I do remember… I think we were talking about Senator Borden… Sam was with us… when was that?"

"Last night shortly before we turned in," Lucas answered as the doctor gave an approving nod.

"Everything seems to check out alright, Mr. McCain." The doctor turned towards Mark again, "I'll leave some pills for you to help with the pain. Take two every four hours or so."

"Doc, he had also hurt his ankle on the trail day before yesterday," Lucas commented.

"I noticed that when I came up here and examined him again. He mildly twisted it, should be fine in a few days; though I'd avoid using it as much as I could."

"When are we leaving?" Mark asked as he looked at Lucas.

Lucas sighed heavily, not looking forward to the conversation he was about to have with his son. Before answering Mark, he looked to the doctor who nodded in understanding and took his leave. Lucas turned back to Mark, who held a less than pleasant look in his face.

"Pa what aren't you telling me? What's going on?"

"Mark, you can't finish the drive in your condition. Whatever happened rattled your brain good. We can't risk you getting thrown again, or even rattling your brain more by riding so much."

"But I can't just stay here! It's another what, three days until market? We need all the help we can get! The cattle are getting edgy, the supplies are running low. Sam hurt his shoulder and-"

"And we aren't going to argue about this, Son. You understand enough about doctorin' that you know no one in your condition should be out on the trail. I'm not going to let you risk getting yourself killed over three days. Sam's fine and we'll make it to market with one less person. I know how much you hate being laid up, but that's what you're going to be for a while. If the situation was reversed, would you want me to finish out the cattle drive?"

Crossing his arms and rolling his eyes as he realized he wasn't going to win this argument, Mark sighed before looking back at Lucas with a frown and raised eyebrows. "Touché."

"Mark, I know how much you want to finish the cattle drive, but it's just not a good idea."

"Yeah, I know," Mark answered, accepting that the whole thing was out of his control. "So just how long am I gonna have to sit around here and wait for you to get back?"

"Well I figured you wouldn't be to happy about missing the rest of the drive so I went over to the train depot after dinner and saw about getting you a ticket. There's a train that runs from here to Albuquerque, then to North Fork day after tomorrow. Figured you'd feel a little better sitting around at home with Micah than sitting around here by yourself."

"And you'd feel better, knowing Micah was there to keep an eye on me?" Mark inquired.

"It crossed my mind," Lucas teased with a gleam in his eye. "Besides, I'm sure Micah has paperwork or something to keep you busy. I know how stir crazy you can get."

"Who, me?" Mark innocently asked with a chuckle. "Do I at least get something to eat between now and then? I'm a little hungry."

"Sure thing. I think Doc said to start you off with a liver and onion soup," Lucas teased.

"You bring liver and onions anywhere near this room and I'll have to lock you up for assaulting an officer of the law!"

"I'll be back." Lucas laughed and squeezed his son's shoulder before turning to leave.

"Thanks, Pa."

Lucas went downstairs and spoke with the hotel manager, Jenny, about possibly getting some broth for Mark. She kindly agreed and disappeared to speak with the cook.

"Mr. McCain?" Lucas turned to see Sam entering the hotel. "Is Mark alright?"

"He woke up just a few minutes ago. His brain is rattled and it'll hurt for a while, but the doctor said he should be fine. He just needs some rest."

"What's your plan?"

"I'll join you out on the trail tomorrow morning and we'll keep moving the cattle. Mark's going to take the train back to North Fork, day after tomorrow."

"I'm sure he didn't take that news too well," Sam chuckled as he shook his head.

"Not initially, but he knows it's for the best. I'm not exactly thrilled about him having to miss the rest of the cattle drive… I know how much he looks forward to it. But I'd rather him be disappointed than wind up doing more damage to himself."

"That's for sure. Well, I better let everyone else know what's going on, we just figured someone should check up on the two of you. Is there anything else I can do?"

"No, thanks though. Just make sure no one makes a saloon run tonight."

"Yes sir." Sam waved as he started out of the hotel and back towards his horse.

Lucas turned around just as Jenny was coming back into the lobby.

"I'll bring the broth up for your son when it's ready, Mr. McCain."

"Thank you very much; we appreciate how hospitable you folks have been. I'll of course make sure you've been reimbursed for your trouble."

"I'm not worried about that. How is your son doing? I didn't catch the doctor before he left."

"He banged his head up pretty bad, but he should be up and around after a few weeks."

"But you're on a cattle drive, aren't you? How do you intend on getting your stock to market?"

"I'm sending my son ahead on the train so he can get home and rest. I'll finish the drive with the hands and be back home in less than a week's time. Provided nothing else goes wrong."

"Sounds like you've been experiencing your fair share of troubles on this trip?"

"Just a few too many," Lucas chuckled in response. "I just hope when he gets home he can make it a few days before he reaches for his badge."

"His badge?" The woman asked in surprise. "Your son's a lawman? But, but he's just a boy…"

"He's our town's deputy, and as much as I wish he still was a boy, he'll be twenty in a few months. He's always taken after his mother, people usually guess him to be about sixteen."

"I suppose that has its advantages. I hope you don't think me rude, I didn't mean anything by-"

"Please, it's alright. I forget myself how old he is sometimes." Lucas sighed as he shook his head and looked down the hallway. "It's like you blink and they're all of a sudden grown up."

"Well considering he's a deputy, I'm sure you're awfully proud of the man he grew up to be."

"That I certainly am." Lucas smiled with fatherly pride as he thought about his son.

"I'm sure he has a special young lady who will be delighted that he's getting home early?"

"No, actually. Mark's always been a bit of a loner and although one day he'd like to settle down and have a family one day, he just keeps insisting that the right person hasn't come along yet… which I'm alright with. It's been just the two of us for years and although I look forward to the day I have grandchildren running around the ranch… these last few years have been good years between the two of us." Lucas suddenly realized he was talking more to himself than the hotel manager. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go on."

"I can understand," she replied with a smile. "My own mother died when I was ten and it was just my father and I for a long time. Those years between me finishing school and him passing were some of the best years of my life. My father became my best friend during that time. By the way you talk about your son, it sounds like it's the same for the two of you."

"It's a strange, wonderful thing when you begin to see your child as your equal. Do you have children, Miss Jenny?"

"Me? No," the woman gracefully laughed. "I've never been married. One day I certainly would like to be, but not many men are interested in a woman who owns and manages her own business."

"One day I'm sure the right man will come along." Seeing a few customers enter the building, Lucas continued, "I best let you get back to work. Thank you, for everything."

"My pleasure."

Lucas returned to the hotel room just in time to see Mark starting to get out of bed.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Lucas asked in a disapproving tone.

"I'll give you three guesses and the first one doesn't count."

Lucas looked at his son in confusion before Mark chuckled and shook his head.

"Where else? I've gotta relieve myself. Don't worry I won't break an arm in the process."

"I'm holding you to that," Lucas teased. "Does the medicine the doctor gave you seem to be helping with the pain at all?"

"I don't think it's been long enough for it to start working." Mark went to take a step, but relied heavily on the bedpost as he shifted his weight.

"Mark are you sure you're alright? I can help you…"

Mark looked up at Lucas, a little embarrassed by his lack of balance and coordination, but also understanding that he couldn't do anything about it.

"Looks like I have a little pride to swallow," Mark answered with a sigh. "Pa, would you…?"

"I suppose, if I have too…" Lucas teased.

**3MC3**

Mark said goodbye to Lucas the next morning after the doctor assured Lucas Mark should be able to make the trip home by himself fine. Mark listened to the doctor and stayed in the hotel room most of the day, and was grateful for the peace and quiet the room afforded him. He wished he was out on the trail with his Pa, but he knew he had been thrown from Thumper one too many times for that to happen.

The morning after Lucas rejoined the hands, Mark found himself boarding his train and settling into a seat. There weren't many passengers to begin with, but as the day drew on, more passengers boarded until almost every seat was taken. Mark slept through most of his ride to Albuquerque and was dozing off on the second train when he heard an argument starting to get out of hand at the end of the car. He ignored it at first, but he couldn't for long.

"Why you rotten cheat! I saw you dealing from the bottom of the deck!"

"You should've said something while we were playing if you thought I was cheating. The game is now over and there's nothing either of us can do about it. It's not like I won, anyway."

"Sure, you're just going to split the profits with your buddy over there! You give me my money back or so help me-"

"You can talk until you're blue in the face, but it won't do you any good. I did nothing wrong."

"You get your partner to give me my money back or I'll plug you!"

The passengers around the two men gasped as the slightly younger of the two pulled a handgun and pointed it at the other man. Mark grabbed his rifle and stood to confront the two men, making his way closer to them.

"Now we'll try this one more time," the younger man angrily spoke. "I want my money."

"Drop the gun, mister."

The man looked behind him to see Mark shouldering his rifle.

"You even know how to shoot that thing, boy?" The man laughed as he turned back to the other man.

"Drop the gun or you'll find out."

"And just why should I listen to you?"

"Because I've got the law on my side and you have about ten seconds before I decide to arrest you." Still holding his rifle with one hand, Mark pulled his deputy's badge from his back pocket.

"but you can't be more 'an…"

"You going to drop the gun or not? Because this rifle sure doesn't care how old I am."

Reluctantly, the man slowly began to lower his weapon. Mark took the fire arm from the man before telling him to move to another car.

"Now wait a minute, what about my money?"

"If what you say is true, I'm sorry, but you have no witnesses and should've called it during the game. Now get before I make you move cars."

"Can I have my gun back now?"

"You can get it from the conductor once it's time for you to get off the train. Don't make me repeat myself a second time."

"I'm goin'." The man turned around and stormed from the car.

"Thank you, deputy," the other man offered. "I really wasn't cheating."

"Maybe, maybe not. Just see to it that you can't be called for cheating again."

Mark went to find the conductor and explained the situation before turning over the man's gun.

"I don't think he should cause you any trouble when it comes time for him to get off. He was just a bit riled at the other man… and then at me," Mark assured.

"Well thank you for your help, deputy. I certainly do appreciate it. We have enough trouble with train robberies, we don't need passengers causing all this trouble, too." The man hesitated before going on, "…I don't mean no disrespect, but you do look a mite young to be a deputy."

"I'm relatively young, but old enough. I've always taken after my Ma's stature. Not always so bad; my size has helped me get out of a few scrapes in the past."

"I guess I can see that coming in handy. Thank you, again. If there's anything you need, be sure to let myself or one of the attendants know."

"I'll be sure to do that. Thank you, Sir."

Mark turned and went back to his car before settling into his seat, all too aware of the way people were now looking at him. Mark pulled his hat over his eyes and tried to get a little more shut eye, but a quiet voice interrupted him.

"Mister Deputy?"

Mark removed his hat and turned to see a small boy nervously standing beside him.

"Well, what can I do for you, young man?"

"Are you really a deputy?" The boy asked in awe.

"I sure am." As Mark answered, he pulled out his badge and handed it to the boy.

"Have you ever shot any outlaws?" The boy excitedly asked. "Like Billy the Kid?"

"I'm from a small town called North Fork, and Billy's type don't really come by much."

"I bet that's 'cause you scared them all away!"

'Maybe because Pa scared 'em all away,' Mark thought to himself. "I don't think I had anything to do with it, but I'm glad they don't come around. Using a gun on someone isn't as great as those dime-novels makes it seem like. There's never anything special about taking someone else's life away."

"Well you're not scared of them are you? You're a deputy, you can't be scared!"

"If they came to town I would face them, but I'd much rather the people that lived in my town not have to see that. If they came to town, someone like you could easily get hurt. But every person always is a little scared, when it comes to facing a gun."

"Well I know one person who would never get scared," the boy proudly boasted. Mark was expecting for the boy to start innocently bragging on his own father, but wasn't prepared when the child boldly declared, "The Rifleman!"

Mark briefly considered what to say to the boy. He was torn between leaving things as they were and explaining the truth to the child; but he knew what his Pa would do.

"Can I let you in on a secret?" The boy quickly nodded his head. "My Pa's The Rifleman."

The boy's eyes widened as he whispered, as much as a five-year-old can, "He IS?!"

"Yeah, but can I tell you something else?" The boy nodded again. "Even my Pa gets scared sometimes."

"But he's The Rifleman…" The disappointment could be heard in the boy's voice.

"I used to think the same thing when I was your age," Mark said with a small smile. "I bragged on my Pa and his ability with the rifle, I was sure nothin' could ever scare my Pa - nothin'. But one day he told me that he did get scared… that everyone got scared. But just because you're afraid of something doesn't mean you're a coward. It takes more courage to do something when you're scared compared to when you're not. Have you ridden a horse before?" The boy slowly shook his head no in confusion. "Are you ever scared of horses?" The boy hesitantly nodded his head. "See for me, I've been riding horses my whole life. I think nothing about jumping on my horse bareback and sending him into a gallop. But for you, it'd take a lot of courage to face your fear and get up on a horse, just like it took me courage when I was your age. Now my Pa, once I realized there were things he was scared of, I also gained a lot of respect for him, because I realized it took a lot of courage for him to face those fears, but he does it anyway. And that makes him courageous. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"

"Well I think so, but I got one question." Mark nodded the boy on. "What's courage?"

"It's like when someone is brave," Mark chuckled.

"So you're saying, even though your Pa is scared sometimes, he's still brave? He's still c… cour… corgus?"

"Courageous, yes." Mark chuckled. "Anyone who is willing to face their fear is courageous."

"Just wait till I get to Aunt Beth's and tell-"

"Josiah, there you are!" Mark looked up to see a frazzled woman walking towards them. "You should know better than that! I'm so sorry he bothered you…"

"He wasn't a bother at all, ma'am."

"Let's get back to our seat," she told the boy. "You need to rest for a while."

"Yes ma'am."

When the boy started to hand Mark his badge back, Mark took it, but then turned around and pinned it on the boy's shirt.

"Do you swear to uphold the law?"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Well then, Deputy, you best make sure this fine lady makes it back to her seat alright."

Mark grinned as the boy and his mother returned to their seat, the child beaming with joy. Settling back in his seat, Mark rested his eyes for a while longer until the conductor came through the car, announcing they would be in North Fork in five minutes. Mark collected his gear from the overhead compartment and waited for the train to settle before following a few other passengers off the train and getting Thumper from the stock car. Half way to the livery, the peacefulness of the summer evening was interrupted by several gun shots. Mark looked up to see several men riding away from the bank. Dropping his bags and Thumper's reigns, Mark ran towards the bank and stopped in the middle of the street to shoulder his rifle. Just as Mark was getting ready to pull the trigger, John Hamilton came running from the bank and shoved the barrel of Mark's rifle towards the sky.

"What did you do that for?!" Mark demanded. "I had him!"

"And they have Stephan Griswold!"

Realizing the banker was right to have stopped him, Mark lowered his rifle as he looked towards the dust cloud forming behind the outlaws, then back to John.

"Was anyone hurt?"

"No, everyone is fine. I just don't understand why they took Stephan with them…"

"Well we'll find out soon enough. Are you up to riding?"

"Of course. Let me close up the bank and I'll meet you at the office in ten minutes?"

"Five."

John nodded in response before both men turned to go their separate ways. As Mark turned around, he saw the large crowd that had formed and began to address them.

"I need a few men to ride on a posse with John Hamilton and me. If you're interested, head to the marshal's office and Micah… where is Micah?" Mark asked, surprised the marshal wasn't already there.

"He went to check on some outlining ranches a few hours ago," Nils informed Mark. "Seems every time he leaves me in charge somethin' goes wrong…"

"Don't worry, Nils, it would've happened no matter who was in charge, and I'm leaving you in charge until Micah gets back. Anyone else who wants to join the posse meet me over at the office and I'll deputize you." As the crowd dispersed, Mark made his way towards Nils. "You think BlueBoy's leg is healed enough for the trip?"

"I reckon so, he just needed to rest it for a few days, I'll saddle him for you. I saw Thumper over near the livery, you want me to load him up with supplies?"

"Could we borrow a horse from you instead? Thumper hasn't been cooperating too well."

"Sure. Hey, aren't you supposed to be on a cattle drive? Where's Lucas?"

"Pa's still on the trail. It's a long story, I'll explain later. Right now I've got a posse to organize."

"I'll have BlueBoy and a pack horse ready for you before you're ready to leave."

"Thanks, Nils."

Mark made his way to the marshal's office where a group of men, including John Hamilton, were already waiting for him. He deputized the men and tossed each man a badge before grabbing another badge for himself. Mark told the men to ready their horses and that they'd leave in just a few minutes. As the door closed behind the last man, Mark let himself fall into the desk chair and waited a few moments for the room to stop spinning. Mark took his hat off and rubbed his head for a few moments before reaching into his shirt pocket for some of the pills the doctor had given him. After taking the pills, Mark gave himself two minutes to rest before heading towards the livery where Nils had the two horses waiting for him. Mark patted BlueBoy before mounting up, glad to at least be riding his own horse this time.

"Nils, when Micah gets back, will you let him know what happened and tell him I'm sorry, but I couldn't wait for him to get back and make the decisions."

"I''m sure he'll understand, Mark."

'He will, but Pa's gonna tan my hide,' Mark thought to himself before replying, "Thanks, Nils."

Mark urged BlueBoy forward before the rest of the men followed Mark down the street and out of town. Nils stood there watching the men until Lou came running up to him.

"I just got away from the hotel; everyone was clamoring for their valuables from the safe. What's going on? Who's leading the posse? I thought Micah was out checking the ranches?"

"Well the bank was robbed, they took Stephan hostage, and Mark showed up in town just in time to lead a posse after the criminals."

"Mark's back in town?" Lou asked in surprise. "But he and Lucas aren't due back for a few days. Why is he in town? Did something happen to Lucas?"

"No, as far as I could tell Lucas was fine, Mark said Lucas was still on the drive. He said it was a long story and that he'd have to explain when he got back. Considering they left town as quick as they did, I'm sure that won't be long at all."

**4MC4**

"Can I do something for you, Marshal?" Oat asked as Micah dismounted.

"I'm just checking up on the outlining ranches, to make sure everything is as it should be. I will say, I'm a bit surprised to find you here, I thought you'd be selling your cattle in Santa Fe."

"Oh, I decided to let the hands handle it this year, I'm not quite as young as I used to be. Besides that, I told Lucas I'd keep an eye on his place while he was gone. Bet you're sure looking forward to getting your deputy back when Mark and Lucas return."

"You're not the only one getting old," Micah chuckled. "But I'll probably be without a deputy a while longer, Lucas sent word that Mark was injured on the trail."

"Will he be alright?"

"Should be, but he's coming home tonight on the train so he can rest. I'm glad Mark helps Lucas with the ranch, it's in his blood. I just wish ranching didn't include a two week cattle drive every summer. I was getting used to sleeping in my own bed most nights of the week."

"What are you going to do when that boy finally decides to settle down and start a family?"

"Well at the rate Mark's going, that's gonna be a long time in coming." Micah chuckled then slightly paused before going on, "Well I guess with you taking care of Lucas's place, that's one less ranch for me to check up on. I better get going, I have a few more ranches to check on before dark."

"If you need any help while Mark's down, be sure to let me know."

"I'll keep that in mind!" Micah mounted his horse again and waved as he rode towards the next ranch.

As Micah came up on the Grady ranch, he heard the unmistakable sound of a woman's scream echoing through the yard. As he dismounted, Micah saw David Grady running from the barn.

"Please, Marshal Torrence, you gotta help my Ma!"

Micah knelt down next to the boy and put his hands on David's shoulders.

"What's wrong with your Ma? Where's your Pa?"

"Well Ma went into labor and sent me out to the barn. Pa went to get Doc a little while ago, but-" The boy's statement was interrupted by another scream. "Please, you gotta do somethin'!"

"I'll see what I can do, but you've got to stay in the barn, understand?"

Micah waited for the boy to nod and head back to the barn before running inside the house. He followed the screams to the bedroom where Mrs. Grady was lying on the bed, her white knuckles gripping the bed posts.

"Please, get the doctor," the woman cried.

"Jase went to get the doctor a little while ago, he should be here in no time at all, just relax-"

"RELAX?!" The woman yelled. "Marshal I'd like to see you go through a birth like this rel-" her statement was interrupted by another scream. "David wasn't this hard, something's wrong!"

"It'll be alright, Caroline, just breathe." Micah moved to the head of the bed and offered his hand for her to squeeze, knowing it'd be better than the bed post. "Jase will be here any minute with Doc Burrage and your little one will be here in no time at all."

"Men and the things they say to a woman in labor…" Caroline mused as the contraction subsided. "I'd like to see a man go through this once, just once!"

Micah tried to hide his chuckle, but his efforts were futile.

"Do you think there's something funny about this, Marshal Torrence?!"

"No ma'am," Micah meekly replied.

As the next contraction hit, Micah tried to support Mrs. Grady and talk her through it. He was relieved when Doc Burrage finally arrived and asked him to keep Jason preoccupied in the kitchen. Micah did as the doctor asked and made coffee as the man impatiently paced back and forth across the kitchen.

"I don't remember David's birth taking this long," Jase worriedly commented as another scream came from behind the bedroom door.

"Don't worry, Doc's in there with her and I'm sure everything will be fine, just you wait and see. Wouldn't surprise me at all if this one were a girl, demanding everyone's attention before she makes her entrance. I remember when my sister was born, now that was a long birth. Took twenty-four hours for her to come screaming into this world."

"I don't care if it's a boy or a girl, I just wish the baby would hurry up and get here!"

A few hours later, both men looked up to see David peeking his head inside the house.

"Pa, Is Mama gonna be alright? Should it be taking this long?"

Micah watched as the father walked towards his son and picked him up before walking out to the barn. Micah stood and watched from the porch as Jason sat outside of the barn with David on his knee and tried to reassure his son that everything would be alright. Micah couldn't help but smile as he thought back to all the times he had seen his best friend do the same thing with a much younger Mark. Both Lucas and Mark had done a lot of changing over the years, but there would always be something special the father and son shared that Micah could see developing between Jason and his own son.

A few minutes later, Micah heard a baby crying from inside the house and made his way towards Jase and David.

"Well if I'm not mistaken, I think your sibling finally decided to make their entrance, David."

The young boy jumped from his father's lap and started towards the house before Jason put a hand on his son's shoulder to keep him from running inside.

"Give the Doc just a minute to clean the baby up, Son, then we'll go in to see your Ma and your new brother or sister."

"David, do you want it to be a boy or a girl?" Micah asked.

"Well I want a baby brother to play with, but Deputy Mark says that even if it is a girl I'll like being a big brother, and that either way it's a very important job." The pride the boy felt in having such a big responsibility was obvious in the way in which he spoke.

"When did he say that?" Jason asked in surprise, not remembering the conversation.

"Well he stopped by a few weeks ago when you were taking the cattle to market."

"I didn't know he visited."

"He came by every night before he went to town for his shift and then every morning on his way back. He helped me with my chores and brought Ma medicine from Doc when she needed it. He said I was lucky to be having a brother or sister and that he would give almost anything if he could be in my shoes. He said I was going to be something he always wanted to be, but never got to because his Ma died. So I told him he could be my big brother if he wanted."

"I'm sure he appreciated that very much," Jason chuckled.

A few minutes later, the three men entered the house. After helping Doc clean up, Micah rode back to town well after sunset. Per Mrs. Grady's instructions, Micah headed straight to the hotel to give Lou the news.

"It was a girl," Micah called as he entered the hotel lobby.

"Caroline had her baby?!" Exclaimed Lou. "What did they name her? Was it a difficult labor?"

As Micah answered all of Lou's questions he couldn't help but chuckle at the glow in the woman's eyes. After Lou was done interrogating the marshal, Micah said he best be getting back to the office.

"I kinda forgot I had left Nils in charge. I'm sure he could use a break."

"Oh, Micah…" Lou began, somewhat embarrassed about forgetting the events of earlier that evening. "Nils is still over at the office, but there was an incident at the bank just before closing today."

"What kind of incident?"

"The bank was robbed and they took Stephan with-"

"Why didn't anyone tell me?!" Micah demanded.

Before he could storm from the lobby, Lou caught Micah's arm and explained, "No one knew where you were; we could have spent hours searching for you. Besides, Mark was in town and took charge of the posse, leaving Nils to stand watch until you got back from checking on the ranches. There's nothing else we could have done and if we waited for you, the outlaws would be long gone. You should be glad Mark showed up when he did."

Micah let out a defeated sigh and shook his head. "Some days I just don't know what to do with him…"

"Micah, what are you talking about? Mark's a fine deputy."

"Yes, he is. But do you know why he's home and not on the cattle drive?" Lou shook her head. "He was hurt out on the cattle drive and Lucas sent him home to rest; he shouldn't be riding in his condition!"

"But how do you know-"

"Because Lucas knows his son all too well and sent me a telegram yesterday explaining what had happened. He also asked that I make sure Mark didn't over do it and that Doc check him over when he got back. Seems I didn't manage to do either one."

"No one could have known the bank was going to be robbed and that you'd be out at the Grady's and… Micah, it's not your fault."

"But Mark should know better! Sometimes I wonder if he's trying to kill himself…"

"Honestly, Micah, what else was he supposed to do? He's a lawman, and while he and Stephan Griswold may not agree on everything, Mark greatly admires his former teacher. He couldn't just sit around and do nothing. You wouldn't have done any differently!"

"He could've deputized the posse and stay put!"

"You know I don't like Mark's stubbornness any more than you do, and I pray he doesn't do anything to hurt himself, but Mark acted on the best interest of this town! Sometimes you and Lucas… you… you treat him as if he's still a child. But he's a full grown man, and this town's deputy. If Mark hadn't gone with them, who knows what could happen? They only had two hours of daylight to track the criminals and then would have had to wait until sun up to start again while the outlaws got farther away! Not many men in this town know much about tracking, and none of them could come close to Mark's abilities, I've heard you say it yourself! So while you can count on me giving him an earful when he gets home, you can also count on me treating him as the man that you deputized a year and a half ago!"

Micah heavily sighed as the fire in Lou's eyes began to slowly diminish. He knew she was right, but he couldn't help being concerned for and a bit angry with Mark; Mark was like a grandson to him. And then Lucas crossed Micah's mind again… what was he going to tell Lucas?

"We just better hope that Mark gets home before Lucas does, or Lucas is going to be outraged."

"I hope he does, but if he doesn't, I'll be ready to give Lucas the same speech I gave you. Mark is Lucas's son and he always will be, but he has to learn to let go of Mark and let Mark make his own decisions, even if that means making a few mistakes. I can think of plenty of times Lucas has gone out after criminals when he was in no condition whatsoever to be walking around, let alone trailing outlaws."

"Maybe I should've never deputized Mark in the first place…"

"You did right by it, Micah. And Lucas has learned to let go of Mark a lot since you pinned that badge on his son's shirt, but you both need to understand that Mark has the right to make the decisions the two of you have over and over and over again. He spent too many years watching the two of you stand up for what was right for him to not do the same. The two of you simply need to understand that Mark can't and shouldn't be protected from every thing."

"Well I hope you're the first one Lucas sees if Mark doesn't come back before him, because I'm certainly not looking forward to explaining this one to Lucas."

**5MC5**

John stopped his horse beside BlueBoy and turned towards the deputy. "Well, Mark?"

Mark replied as he dismounted, "I can't track them any farther, there's not enough light." Then turning towards the rest of the men, he continued, "Everyone settle in for the night, we can't do anything else until daybreak. I want everyone up and ready to go at the crack of dawn."

Mark led BlueBoy to a tree and tied his reigns to a limb, John Hamilton not far behind. As Mark worked to unsaddle his horse, the banker noticed Mark was having alarming difficulty getting the saddle off BlueBoy. As Mark pulled the saddle from his horse, John couldn't react fast enough when the weight from the saddle pulled Mark to the ground. Helping Mark stand up and noticing how disoriented he seemed, John worriedly looked over the deputy.

"Mark, are you alright? You should sit down for a few minutes…"

"I'm fine," Mark insisted as he tried to pick up the saddle again, but instead found himself kneeling on the ground and holding the heel of his palm against his head.

"No, you're not fine. What's going on?" John put a hand to Mark's shoulder as his brow furrowed. "And why are you back here without your father?"

Mark waited a few moments to get his bearings before giving in and letting John help him sit against the tree. He took in a deep breath as he tried to ignore the pain in his head.

"BlueBoy hurt his leg shortly before the cattle drive so I had to take another horse. It threw me a good five or six times while I was on the trail. The last time he threw me good and I smacked my head. Pa and one of the hands found me unconscious. Pa got me to the nearest town and after resting for two days I took the train home; the doctor said I couldn't finish the drive in my condition."

"If you're not able to finish a cattle drive, you're certainly in no condition to go chasing after outlaws! Mark, what were you thinking?!"

Mark winced as the volume at which John spoke sent more pain through his head.

"I was thinking about my responsibility to protect the people and businesses of North Fork. I couldn't just sit around and do nothing when we were lucky enough to practically follow them straight out of town. Granted, they'll put some distance between us since they can keep riding while we can't track, but we're closer than we would be if we waited for Micah."

"You need to get back to town. If Lucas were here-"

"My Pa isn't here and I'd appreciate it if everyone stopped treating me as if I need protecting!" Mark quieted and closed his eyes; waiting for the pain to lessen before going on, "When Micah pinned this badge on me, I felt like I finally had a good amount of respect from the people of North Fork. But no matter how hard I tried, no matter how much I did to prove myself, there have always been people like you who think that I still need to be treated like a child. I'm North Fork's deputy and it is my job to protect her in any way that I can. I wouldn't be much of a deputy if I sat there and let someone rob our bank and take one of our citizens hostage. And if my Pa were here, I'd tell him the same thing. I respect you both greatly, but you've got to stop trying to stand between me and my job. Whether you want to recognize it or not, I've grown up. I have the right to decide what I'm willing to sacrifice for the town and people I care about."

There was a long silence before John sighed and turned towards Mark. "Well, Deputy McCain, seeing as how we have a long day ahead of us, I think I'll get some shut eye."

"Thanks, Mr. Hamilton."

John laughed and shook his head as he replied, "Son, you don't give someone a speech like that and then go using their last name. John will do." The banker briefly paused before going on, "Now don't take this the wrong way, I'd say what I'm about to say to your Pa or Micah or anyone else. You take it easy and I'll finish taking care of your horse and get your bed roll ready. We don't need the person leading this posse falling out of their saddle come tomorrow."

Mark gratefully nodded and rested his head against the trunk of the tree as John took care of the horses and set the bedrolls out. It didn't take anyone long to fall asleep, but Mark woke frequently throughout the night. The sharp pain in his head made it difficult to fall back asleep, giving him a very restless night.

When the horizon began changing colors, Mark slipped from his bedroll and started quietly packing up what he could after starting the coffee. It wasn't long before the rest of the men were awake, and a half hour passed before the posse set out on the trail again. Due to the fact that they weren't following a dust trail or even fresh tacks anymore, the posse moved at a much slower pace. John Hamilton, however, also knew that Mark was having a difficult time thinking; he could see the pain in the young man's face.

Mid-morning the men came to a river a Mark told everyone to give the horses a few minutes of rest. Stepping down from his own horse, Mark leaned heavily against BlueBoy and stood holding onto the saddle horn until everyone was ready to mount up again. They crossed the river and began looking for a new set of tracks. John Hamilton looked up when he heard Mark let out a frustrated, heavy sigh.

"What is it?" One of the men asked.

"Well I found their tracks, but they split up. One set of tracks heads north while the other heads east. Fletcher, you come with John and me and we'll head north. Rest of you follow the other tracks. Be careful and don't forget that they're armed."

Without saying anything the men split into groups and followed their designated trails. Mark was worried that they were being lured into a trap, but there wasn't much he could do even if they were. The men rode for several hours in silence, hoping to come across something soon. Mark knew with the hours they had lost the night before, their chances of catching up with the men were becoming slimmer and slimmer, but he couldn't give up that easily.

The sun was beginning to set when the men saw a campfire glowing in the distance. They spread out and slowly surrounded the camp, only seeing one bedroll set out close to the fire.

"Hello in the camp!" Mark called, but he received no response.

Motioning for the other two to start making their way towards the fire, Mark slowly worked his way towards the figure lying in the bed roll. Mark braced himself as he pulled back the top of the bed roll.

"Mr. Griswold?!" Mark exclaimed upon finding an unconscious Stephan.

The three men worked to untie and rouse the school teacher, but Mark suddenly stopped them.

"Let me set his leg before we try to wake him up, this is gonna hurt if he's awake."

The other men nodded and cringed as Mark set Stephan's leg in place. They resumed trying to wake the school teacher until John Hamilton suddenly stood and shook his head.

"It's useless, I can smell chloroform on him. We'll just have to wait until he wakes up on his own. Hopefully that will be before dawn."

Mark nodded as he replied, "There was a creek a ways back, I'll go fill the canteens."

"You need rest, Deputy," John reminded. "I'll fill the canteens, Fletcher can get the horses something to drink. We still don't need you passing out on us."

"What are you talking about?" Fletcher asked as he looked between the two men.

"I have a small head injury, that's all," Mark tried to explain.

"Small," John mused. "Lucas sent him home because the doctor said he couldn't finish the cattle drive. The only reason he was in town when the bank was robbed was because he is supposed to be back in town resting. …But, our deputy is just a bit too stubborn and loyal."

"We'll get the water, Mark." Fletcher stated as he started towards the horses.

As John and Fletcher headed for the bank, they both started to feel drops of water landing on their skin.

"Sure hope it don't rain," Fletcher commented. "There's no shelter for miles and even a light rain would wash out the tracks."

"Well I-" John Hamilton stopped short as he saw three figures on the other side of the bank. The sunlight was disappearing behind the hills, but he was fairly confident he knew who stood on the other side of the bank.

"What are you three doing here?"

"Following the trail," Jensen replied. "What are you doing here?"

"We found Stephan back there on the trail. We came back for some water."

"So they split up just to get back together again? It don't make much sense."

"Unless…" The words died on John's lips as the unmistakeable sounds of a pistol being fired several times echoed across the land.

The men ran their horses back to the camp to find Mark crumpled by the fire, rifle lying on the ground. Fletcher was the first one to Mark while Hamilton checked on Stephan and the others rode, trying to find the assailant.

"Stephan's fine, how's Mark?" John urgently asked.

"One scratched his head, he caught the other in his side; it's still in there."

Leaving Stephan, John hurried toward the other two men and worked with Fletcher to clean the wounds and try to stop the bleeding as the rain drops turned to a steady sprinkle. Twenty minutes had passed before the other three men returned empty handed, rain now pouring from the night sky.

"What's the plan now?" Jensen asked as all the men's eyes fell on the wounded deputy.

"There's not much else we can do," Fletcher answered. "Wait until morning and pray he makes it until we can get him to Doc."

The men took turns standing watch that night; more to keep an eye on Mark and Stephan than anything else; they were sure the outlaws who had done this were long gone. The rain only lasted a half hour, but it was long enough to wash out any trail the outlaws had left.

The next morning as the men were getting ready to break camp, Stephan Griswold began to rouse.

"Well, look who finally decided to show up," Jensen teased as he made his way towards Griswold. "How are you feeling, Stephan?"

"Much better than before I passed out, though I will say, I will be looking forward to getting some medication from Doctor Burrage. How long have I been unconscious?"

"About twelve hours, they knocked you out with chloroform."

"And exactly where are, "they"?" Stephan inquired as he looked around the camp.

Jensen turned to John Hamilton to answer as the banker examined Stephan's injury.

"We're sorry, Stephan, but they disappeared on us and the rain washed out the trail last night."

"No need to apologize to me; I am sorry to hear they got away with your money, however."

"They took a little, but the thing that doesn't make much sense to me is they didn't even bother with the vault. They just had me put what money was within reach in the bag before they took off with you."

"Probably got cold feet," Fletcher commented as he came over, sipping his coffee.

"Do you have any idea how much you lost?" Griswold inquired.

"Probably somewhere around five hundred dollars, but I'm glad it wasn't worse." John stood after he finished looking at Stephan's leg. "It'll be a bit uncomfortable, but I don't see why you can't ride BlueBoy."

"BlueBoy? Isn't that Mark's horse?"

"It is," Jensen answered with a nod. "Mark was the one who led the posse… but he got shot last night, before we lost the outlaws' trail."

"Shot?! My heavens, is he alright?"

"He's breathing," Fletcher answered as he gestured to Mark's bedroll. "But we should break camp and get him to Doc. We'll explain the rest on the way into town."

"I wonder how Lucas is going to take the news…"

**6MC6**

Lou looked out the open hotel doors as Micah came out of his office to see the posse returning to town, Mark lying on a travois being pulled by John Hamilton's horse. They ran to meet the men, making their way through the small crowd that had already formed outside the clinic.

"What happened?!" Lou demanded in her Irish brogue, looking from one man to the next.

Without realizing he was stating the obvious, Jensen bluntly replied, "He was shot," as he and another man from the posse went to carry Mark inside the clinic. Micah saw the splint on Stephan Griswold's leg and helped the man down from the horse and into Doc's office. Lou quickly followed after the men, who ignored her constant questions.

Quickly assessing his two patients, Doc ordered the men to carry Mark into the back room and told Stephan to stay put in the waiting room until he could look at the leg. Seeing the large crowd standing in the doorway, the doctor ordered everyone out.

"Except you Micah," Doc clarified as the marshal turned to leave. "I need you to stay."

"What about me?" Lou demanded, her concern for Mark evident.

"I need you to go over to the hotel and get something for my patients to eat. Mark won't need more than broth when he wakes."

As the door closed behind Lou and the men from the posse, Micah turned to Doc, "Broth?"

"She wasn't going to be any help in here," Doc mumbled. "She's too worried about the boy."

"What can I do?"

"Stay out here and make sure no one else comes in. I may call for help in the back, so keep your ears open."

Micah nodded in reply before the doctor hurried to the back room of the clinic. After taking in a deep breath to calm his nerves, Burrage set to work. As he took Mark's shirt off he could hear Mark moaning in pain. He saw where the bullet had entered and was glad the men had been able to stop the bleeding before Mark bled to death. Doc cleaned his hands and then his instruments before preparing the ether and sedating Mark, glad he hadn't woken up while in the office. After he was sure Mark wouldn't wake mid-operation, the doctor began to make a larger incision in Mark's side. He pushed through and worked around muscle and tissue until he was finally able to see where the bullet had stopped. Unfortunately, finding the bullet was the easy part. Doc worked to try to extract the bullet, but eventually gave in to cutting into more skin and a bit of muscle before he was able to pull the bullet out. After the bullet clunked in the bottom of a glass jar, Doc began to clean the wound before suturing it closed. Having seen the bullet wound and other injury on Mark's head earlier, Doc began to clean and bandage those injuries before finally taking a step back and letting out a heavy sigh.

"Now just do me a favor and wake up," Doc pleaded with his patient.

Burrage then busied himself with cleaning his instruments and anything else he could before stepping back into the waiting room, forty-five minutes after he had left.

"Doc?" Micah asked with concern. "How is he?"

"I got the bullet out, and it didn't do any major damage; however, Mark lost a considerable amount of blood. I just hope Lucas passed on enough of his stubbornness to his son to let Mark pull through." Doc let out a long, heavy sigh before turning to Stephan and going on, "Now, onto my second patient. Just what did you do to your leg?"

"I'm not particularly certain. At one point we stopped and they forced me down from my horse. Several of the men surrounded me and held a cloth over my nose, although it had a peculiar scent to it. When I woke up, my leg was splinted."

The doctor nodded in understanding as he examined the leg, "They most likely used chloroform to knock you unconscious, and I'm sure any affect of that will be worn off by this evening. This leg, however… who set it?"

"On our way back to North Fork John Hamilton explained all that had happened. After the bank was robbed-"

"Please, just tell me about the leg," Doc insisted, not wanting an hour long explanation from the school teacher.

"Apparently Mark corrected the injury, before he was shot, of course."

"I'll see if I have some crutches in the back. You'll need to use them for a few weeks, and I don't want you exerting yourself much for the next month."

"School starts in just a few days, how am I-"

"You'll have to either cancel classes or ask for a temporary teacher. I won't have you doing permanent damage to your leg."

"We certainly cannot cancel classes!" The teacher protested.

"I'll wire around and have an ad put in the papers," Micah offered. "Someone out there's gotta be looking for a job."

"Are you prepared, Marshal, to have a stranger come into town and influence the future of North Fork? Think of the chaos they could cause, think of-"

"You were a stranger at one point, too, Griswold," Micah reminded with a chuckle. "It's only for a month. Doc, I'm gonna send that telegram; I'll be back to check on Mark later."

Micah left the office and headed to the telegraph office to send his wires. Amos asked if Micah wanted to wire around for Lucas, but the marshal declined the offer, knowing it wouldn't be any use to worry Lucas; the man wouldn't be able to get home any faster. After finishing at the telegraph office, Micah made his way to his own office where he found the rest of the men from the posse waiting for him.

"What can I do for you, gentlemen?"

"How's Mark?" Jensen asked. "He seemed to have lost a whole lot of blood…"

"he did, but Doc got the bullet out and said it didn't do any major damage. We just have to wait and pray he wakes up. Which, if he takes after his father, should be some time soon." Micah briefly paused before going on, "What exactly happened out there?"

The men quietly looked at each other, waiting for someone else to start talking. Finally, John Hamilton spoke up.

"The trail split and so we split up. Mark, Fletcher and I came across Stephan Griswold unconscious. Mark set Stephan's leg before he started to say he'd go back to the river for water, but we knew he wasn't doing well with his head injury." Some men looked curiously at the banker, unsure of what he was talking about, but didn't dare interrupt. "Fletcher and I took the horses down to the bank where we met up with everyone else; the tracks had come back around. While we were talking we heard gun shots and ran back to camp, only to find Mark crumpled on the ground. A few of the men went looking for the outlaws, but it was dark and started raining and they couldn't find anything. The next morning we didn't know what else to do besides head back to town; Mark was in a bad way."

"I'm glad you turned back, no use getting lost in the dessert for no good reason. I'll need each of you to write out a report for me, just incase we do ever catch up with the crooks."

A unified groan sounded from the men, but no one protested the Marshal's order. Micah took back the men's badges and gave them pencils and papers to write out their reports. One by one the men turned their statements into Micah, but no one left the office. They eventually all sat there, staring at the wall, the clock, the floor… anywhere but each other. Finally, Micah understood what they were all wanting the answer to, but not wanting to ask.

"Don't worry, I'll tell Lucas about Mark and no one can blame anyone else for what happened. You were all doing your duty and Mark, as North Fork's official deputy, was injured in the line of duty. I know Lucas and while I can count on him being upset at Mark for trailing after outlaws with his head injury, he wouldn't dream of getting upset at any of you."

The men nodded and let out an involuntary sigh of relief before they slowly started out of the office.

"Micah, when he wakes, will you let me know?" John asked.

"Sure thing, John. Have a good night."

As the banker left the Marshal's office, he couldn't help but worriedly look up the street at the doctor's office. He remembered his first few days in North Fork; he remembered the day a young Mark McCain came to proudly deposit five dollars in the bank. That day, Lucas had gone to confront the man who had robbed a bank. Nearly ten years later, John had watched as Lucas's son, now far from a little boy, had taken charge and led an entire posse after the men that had robbed North Fork's bank. And, John realized, it wasn't just a good friend's son that lied in that clinic. He had a good friend lying in that clinic, one he had come to greatly respect over the last two years. Young as he might have been, Mark McCain was a good, upstanding citizen and loyal friend. The young man had made his share of mistakes, like anyone else in their teenage days, but he well made up for them in more ways then one.

Letting out a heavy sigh, the banker stepped off the board walk and crossed the street, making his way towards the hotel. He took a seat in the hotel's restaurant and waited to see Lou come bustling through the kitchen door with a covered plate in hand.

"John, have ya heard anythin' about Mark? Is he alright?"

"Doc got the bullet out and is waiting for Mark to wake up. But considering the state he was in before he was shot… that could be quite a while."

"Was he really that bad off?" Lou asked as concern continued to grow on her face.

"Unfortunately, yes," the banker answered as he nodded his head. "He could hardly unsaddle BlueBoy the first night we were on the trail. He tried hiding how bad off he was, but I caught him rubbing his head and wincing in pain on several occasions. I don't know if you realized, but he didn't just take a bullet to the side; one grazed his head as well. I don't know much about doctoring, but I do know that second bullet wound isn't going to help anything."

"Has anyone tried wiring Lucas? He should be at market by now, maybe we can send him word and he can catch a train."

"First of all, riding cross country would be faster, but either way it'd still take him at least two days to get home. He was already planning on leaving for North Fork tomorrow morning, anyway. No need to make him worry the whole way home."

"I suppose you're right… I just wish there was a way to get him home faster…"

"Don't worry, he and Mark will both be alright."

"Well I best be getting this over to Doc's for Stephan, Alice can take your order."

"Thanks, Lou."

Lou left the hotel and hurried to the doctor's office with dinner for Stephan and entered the clinic to find the man still arguing with Doc about not being able to teach. As she picked up on the conversation, Lou couldn't help but chuckle at the exasperated look Doc's face held.

"Stephan, I have some supper for ya," Lou offered as she set the plate on Griswold's lap. "And I want to see every last morsel eaten before ya go claimin' to be full."

"Thank you, Lou," Doc stated, thankful for the interruption.

"So are we going to have ta close the school until Stephan is on the mend?"

"It would be the only logical thing to do," the teacher replied. "We can't entrust our children with a last minute substitute from who knows where, with most likely nothing more than-"

"We're looking for someone to step in until Stephan is fully recovered. The town council would never approve delaying the start of the semester for a month when we had another option."

"The other option could be that I teach," Stephan reminded. "This leg isn't as bad as-"

"You went to school to become a teacher, not a doctor, Griswold," Doc answered with growing annoyance in his voice. "When you've had the training of a doctor you can give the advice of a doctor. But seeing as how that will take a few years, I'll call the shots for now."

Stephan picked up a fork and started eating as he finally accepted his sentence.

"Doc is there anything I can do? I have broth on the stove for whenever Mark wakes up, but I know John said that could be quite a while. Is there anything you need?"

"I think I can manage for now, Lou, the offer is appreciated. I will be sure to let you know when Mark does wake up. Until then, the most any of us can do is pray that Mark wakes up, before Lucas returns."

**7MC7**

The next day crept by for those in North Fork; Mark hadn't made any improvement and everyone was worried for the young deputy's life. Lou, Micah, and John Hamilton frequently stopped by the clinic to check on Mark, walking away disappointed every time.

The second afternoon after Mark's surgery, Micah joined Burrage as the doctor went to the back room of the clinic to check on his patient again. Both men were both pleasantly surprised to find Mark lying on the bed, propping himself up with one elbow while rubbing his head with the opposite hand.

"Well, look who's alive!" Micah exclaimed as he and Doc stepped closer to Mark. "Good to see you awake, Mark. How are you feeling?"

Mark let himself rest back against the bed as he turned his head to look at the two chipper men. "Not as happy to be awake as the two of you are," Mark complained as he closed his eyes. "What happened? I feel like I got shot and beat upside the head."

"Pretty close to it," Doc chuckled. "Based on what your Pa told Micah, you were thrown from your horse a few days ago. Then the bank was robbed and while on the posse you got shot in the side and a bullet grazed your head. What's the last thing you remember?"

Mark thought for a long moment before answering, "I was arguing with Pa about coming back home. …I was on a posse? Oh, Pa's gonna kill me… where is he?"

"Lucky for you, he's still out of town, but due back tonight some time," Micah informed him.

Doc set to examining Mark as the deputy continued to ask questions.

"How long was I out?"

"About a day and a half. The posse brought you and Stephan back night before last."

"Stephan? Micah, what mess did I get myself into?"

Micah chuckled before he went on to tell Mark everything that had transpired over the past few days. Mark was having trouble following Micah and finally gave up trying to remember the story the marshal was telling him. The pain in Mark's head was becoming increasingly worse the longer he stayed awake and he finally interrupted Micah to ask Doc Burrage something.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Doc, do you have something for the pain? My head is killing me, and my side could stand some relief as well."

"Sure thing, Mark," Doc answered before retrieving some medication from a cabinet. "Are you hungry at all? Lou's been keeping broth warm for you, waiting for you to wake up."

Mark took the medicine before replying, "I don't think I could stomach much, but maybe a little wouldn't do too much harm. And I know the sooner I start eating the sooner she'll stop worrying."

"Don't worry, I wouldn't expect you to eat much and it'll be a while before you can handle anything heavier than broth. Everything looks like it'll turn out alright and I reckon you'll start remembering what happened in about a week or so. I'll run over to the hotel and ask Lou to bring something over while Micah finishes filling you in on the details of what happened."

"Thanks Doc." Mark watched the doctor leave the room before turning back to Micah. "Sorry to interrupt, but I needed something for the pain. What happened after they heard the shots?"

"Don't worry about it. They ran back to camp and found you shot up. They tried chasing the outlaws, but it was dark and they couldn't find anything. As luck would have it, it also started raining so the trail got washed out. They brought you and Stephan back the next afternoon."

"I wish I could say I remember, but nothing you told me sounds familiar. I am sorry about losing them, Micah. Apparently I should have been paying better attention."

"Mark, there's nothing to say you could have done anything differently. You don't need to apologize; you're the one that got shot up for goodness sake! You shouldn't have even been on the posse, so don't go blaming yourself."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Mark asked, understanding the insinuation.

Micah looked at his deputy for a long moment, thinking through everything Lou had told him the night the posse left to trail the outlaws.

"I'm sorry Mark, but you're like a grandson to me, I can't help but worry. When I came back to town and found out you went trailing after the criminals in your condition…"

"What else was I supposed to do? Micah, the day you deputized me was the day you asked me to help you protect North Fork and her citizens. If you don't expect me to act like a deputy, then you shouldn't have bothered pinning that badge on my shirt."

"…I know, Mark. I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised that you took off. I trust you… and I respect the choice you made to organize and lead the posse. You're a man, and I suppose it's time I start expecting that you act like one; not that you aren't already. I also suppose that I know that you know your limits and should trust you to make the right decisions when it comes to your well being. But you're my best friend's son; you're practically my grandson, and were long before I ever put that badge on you, so I reserve the right to get worried about you."

"Thanks, Micah, I appreciate it." The marshal and deputy exchanged understanding smiles before Mark went on, "Speaking of pinning the badge on someone, I owe you for a badge."

"What do you mean?" Micah asked in confusion. "All the men returned their badges."

"I just remembered that on my way back home I met a little boy on the train; I couldn't help myself."

"No need to worry about it; though I didn't realize you took your badge with you on the drive."

"It tends to come in handy, people tend to back down a mite quicker when they see a badge."

"You ever try to pick up any ladies with that badge?" Micah teased with a gleam in his eye.

"Just as much as my Pa ever did," Mark quickly replied. "Do you think there's any chance of me getting out of here before Pa gets back?"

"Mark McCain, just how do you plan on hiding two bullet wounds from your Pa? You certainly can't wear your hat day and night. And don't forget about Lou."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. But maybe I can talk Doc into letting me stay over at the hotel. Pa would at least be a little calmer if he knew I was alright enough to be staying at the hotel."

"I don't think you'll feel up to walking over there any time soon, Mark. That wound on your side sure didn't look pretty and I'm sure it doesn't feel too good, even without you putting weight on it."

There was a long silence as Mark hesitated to ask his next question. "…Micah, just how bad was it? I mean, between getting knocked off a horse and getting shot… could I have…?"

"First of all, accept and be grateful for the fact that you didn't die. ... But you know as well as I do that there was a possibility of you dying. But they stopped the bleeding in time and no brain damage was done by the bullet. But just so we're clear, since you were injured in the line of duty you will be getting paid as usual until you can stand your shifts again."

"Until I…" Mark stopped, not having yet realized that he wouldn't be able to watch the office for a few weeks. "But if I'm laid up, how are you going manage?"

"Well I certainly miss having you around, but I've managed for the last two weeks, and I can manage a few more. People are more than willing to help out if I need a hand."

"But I can't let you pay me if I'm not doing anything; that wouldn't be right."

"It would be perfectly fine, and I'm going to do just that. However, I know how you get when you're laid up so I figure once the doc says you're up for it, you can help me catch up on some of that paperwork that's been piling up on my desk."

"Thanks," Mark sarcastically replied; but if he was going to be laid up, he didn't mind the idea of doing paperwork… that much. "So if Stephan's laid up, what about school next week?"

"We sent a wire around and were surprised to get a reply this morning. There's a man from Roswell who used to be a school teacher in California, but moved to Roswell to take care of his mother. She passed away at the beginning of July and he's been taking care of her estate since. He gladly accepted the position, even though it's only temporary."

"You were sure lucky to get a response, especially out here."

"I know, but I had to try. Stephan isn't happy about missing school and we told him it'd be easy to find a substitute, hoping that would suffice, but he's pretty protective of those school children. He keeps saying he's sure a new teacher will pervert their minds."

"He's probably afraid someone will find his stash of candy in the bottom drawer of his desk."

"True," Micah laughed. "Well, Mark, I better get going and get some work done, but I sure am glad to see you awake. Just do me a favor and don't over do it, I want you back in that office just as soon as possible!"

"Yes sir," Mark chuckled. "I'll be seeing you, Micah."

Micah patted Mark's shoulder before turning and leaving the office. As he crossed the street, Micah saw Doc and Lou headed towards the clinic with Mark's meal.

Micah made the rounds before riding out to check up on a few more of the outlining ranches. Figuring Mark would want a few changes of clothes and his notebooks, Micah swung by the McCain's ranch to pick up the items. As Micah was leaving the house, he saw who could only be Lucas riding towards the homestead.

'_Well_,' Micah thought to himself, '_Here goes nothing_…'

Micah greeted Lucas as the rancher brought Razor to a stop in front of the house and dismounted.

"Lucas, how was the trip?"

"Long and dusty, but profitable," Lucas answered. "How's Mark doing? He wasn't too happy about missing the rest of the drive."

"…He's doing," Micah answered, still unsure of how to break the news to Lucas.

"I'll be heading into town just after I clean up. I'm assuming Mark's staying at the hotel?" As Lucas spoke, he walked past Micah and inside the house.

"…Not exactly."

Lucas turned around to see Micah hesitantly making his way inside the home.

"What'd he do, Micah?"

"…His job."

"What's that supposed to mean, Micah?!"

"Mark arrived in town while I was checking on ranches. The bank was robbed and he organized a posse to follow the outlaws. They took Stephan Griswold hostage."

"Stephan Griswold? Micah, when was the last time anyone heard from them? Why did Mark-"

"They're back, Lucas; the trail got washed out. …But not before they found Stephan tied up. And not before… Lucas… the criminals came back around and found Mark alone with Stephan. Now, Mark's fine, but they shot him."

"They what?!" Lucas demanded, not giving Micah time to answer before running out the door and jumping back on Razor.

Micah mounted his own horse and quickly followed after Lucas, trying to explain.

"One grazed his head and he caught the other one in his side. Doc got the bullet out and said he's going to be fine. ...Now, Lucas, I was upset with him too, but he was just trying to do his job! We both agreed Mark becoming a deputy, my deputy, was a good thing. You gave your blessing and I pinned the badge on him; we can't get upset with him for doing something we both approved of, and would have done ourselves! Lucas, are you listening?" Micah let out a heavy sigh as he realized his words were falling on deaf ears.

When the two men got to town, Micah again tried talking some sense into Lucas before he started an argument with his son. As the two men walked into the clinic, Doc Burrage did the same, but to no avail. The marshal and doctor watched the rancher enter his son's room and slam the door behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

**8MC8**

Startling awake from the sound of the door being slammed, Mark opened his eyes to see Lucas taking long strides towards him. Worriedly looking his son over, Lucas rested one hand on the bed while he put his other hand on Mark's shoulder.

"Mark, are you alright, Son?"

"I think I'll live," Mark half-heatedly teased, his head still ringing from the door being slammed.

"How do you feel? You look like you're in a lot of pain." As Lucas spoke, he turned a chair around and sat, straddling it with his legs.

"I am," Mark answered with a heavy sigh. "Between what happened on the cattle drive and then whatever happened out on the trail, I feel like I've been through the wringer."

"Whatever happened? You mean you don't remember what happened with the posse?"

"When I first woke up, all I could remember was us talking about me coming home. I've started remembering a little bit here or there since, but the last thing I can remember right now is getting Thumper from the stock car. Micah told me what happened with the posse, but none of it is ringing a bell. Doc said I should eventually remember."

"Micah chew you out for going with the posse, or decide to wait until your memory returns?"

"I think he was going to, but we came to an understanding." Mark nervously glanced at Lucas, waited for him to explode. "…But I suppose you're mad enough for the two of you?"

"Mad enough for the two of us?" Lucas inquired in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Mark returned Lucas's confused stare before asking, "You mean you're not angry with me?"

"Angry?" Lucas suddenly shook his head as he let out a small chuckle. "No, Son, I'm not angry; not with you. Mark, you and I have been through a lot since your mother died. It's always been my job to protect you. But the day Micah pinned that badge on you was the day I realized I didn't need to do the protecting anymore; I realized you had grown up and become a man who could take care of himself. That was a hard pill for me to swallow, but I had to swallow it. Granted, there are times I will step in, like with the cattle drive, but you know your limits and if you had truly believed you were in good enough shape to finish the drive, I know I wouldn't have gotten you to agree to come home. Leading the posse was not only your choice, but your duty as Micah's deputy. Now, no one would have batted an eye if you had decided to stay in North Fork and had someone else lead the posse; maybe that's what you should have done. But it remained your choice, and you chose to go after those men who had not only robbed the bank, but were also threatening the well being of a man you well respect. I can't stand here and get angry at you for doing something I would have done, and I can't get upset at you because you grew up to be the man I raised you to be. No, I'm not angry with you. I'm angry with the men that shot you, but not with you. I don't care if you're fifty years old; I'll always worry about you, Son. You're not a child, but you will always be "my" child. So until the day I die, I reserve the right to worry about you and tell you when I think you're wrong. But you're also a man, and I respect the decisions you make as a man. I would just appreciated if those decisions didn't end with you getting shot every time."

Mark was quiet for several moments as he looked at his Pa. At first he was thoroughly confused and surprised by his Pa's response. Then Mark found himself humbled by his Pa's words. For the first time, Mark felt as though his Pa understood him as a man, not a child.

"…Thanks, Pa," Mark finally said. "That means a lot… a whole lot coming from you. …To be honest, I never was really sure about how you felt about me picking up the badge. I mean, you gave me your blessing… but I wasn't sure if you were actually happy about it or not."

"Happy? Mark, I couldn't be prouder. The day Micah deputized you, I realized I hadn't lost my little boy, but that my little boy had matured into a man to be proud of. You wear your badge and carry you rifle with commitment, and honor, and integrity. Being a lawman is part of who you are and I wouldn't dare want that taken away from you. Now, I certainly miss your help around the ranch when you get called off," Lucas teased, "But I am proud of the life you live."

"I wouldn't be here if it hadn't been for you, Pa. All the lessons you taught me growing up, all the mistakes you let me make even though you knew better… they made me who I am. And I couldn't imagine living this life without you."

"We've been blessed, that's for sure."

"So the cattle, did they do well?"

"We made about three hundred more than last year, if that answered your question."

"Three hundred?! We didn't have that many more heads, did we?"

"No, but between the additional cattle we did have, the stock price going up, and some very wealthy buyers, we definitely got our money's worth this year."

"How's Sam doing, with his shoulder?"

"About that," Lucas chuckled, "So after we sold the cattle, we went over to the saloon, just for something to eat. Well Sam bumped into this one hand…"

On the other side of the door, Micah and Doc eventually heard laughter emanating from Mark's room. They looked at each other in confusion as Micah scratched the back of his head.

"What'd you do, Doc? Give Mark something to make him delusional?"

"Maybe I did," Doc answered in bewilderment. "Either that or the two of us are going insane. Lucas should've exploded about five minutes ago."

"Sam's gonna be out of commission for a few weeks, but by the way he looked when he got the nurse to take care of him over at the clinic, I don't think he minds it too much."

"Bet he was glad the nurse didn't see him tripping over three tables and into the piano."

"She may not have seen that, but he was pretty drunk," Lucas laughed. "She was sweet enough about it though, and after he sobered up she didn't say a word about some of the things he had said while he was drunk." The rancher glanced at the time piece before going on, "Well I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. And I'm sure even if you're not hungry, you need something. I'm going to head over to the hotel and get us something to eat."

"Thanks, Pa."

Lucas patted Mark's leg as he stood before leaving the room. He saw the way Micah and Doc were staring at him and looked back at them in confusion.

"…What's wrong?"

"…Nothing's wrong, we just…" Micah was at a loss for words. "…Those conversations don't usually end in laughter between the two of you."

Understanding what the men had thought, Lucas shook his head and answered as he walked out the door, "He had to grow up sometime. No use me trying to stop something that happened years ago."

Lucas crossed the street and headed for the hotel, where he immediately saw Lou rushing towards him. Before he could get a word in, Lou started her rant.

"Now Lucas, I know Mark's your son and ya have every right to be concerned about 'im, but ya also 'ave to understand that Mark is a deputy, a fine deputy fer Micah and fer this town! He was only doin' his duty as an officer of the law and a friend of Stephan's. So ya can't go and get upset at Mark for simply behavin' as ya raised him. He's a grown man with responsibilities and ideals and ya can't be mother henin' him all the time! One day you'll look back and wished ya would've taken the time to appreciate Mark for the stage he's at in life because all too soon it'll be gone and ya won't be able to get it back. So please, for the sake of the both of ya, don't go and say anythin' that would be doin' permanent damage to your relationship! The two of ya love each other so much, there's no point in sayin' words that can't be taken back!"

"Fair enough," Lucas replied with a chuckle. "How about fixing me and that fine deputy something to eat?"

"Aren't ya goin' ta argue with me?"

"No point in arguing when you're right; even if it isn't any of your business."

"None of my- Lucas McCain, I'll have you know that it's plenty of my business! You and Mark are my friends, good friends and I wouldn't be much of a friend if I stood by at let you do somethin' ya would regret! And I certainly…" Lou quieted as she saw the look in Lucas's eyes. "Well… I suppose it isn't exactly my business but… I'm sorry, Lucas. It's just you and Mark mean so much to me and sometimes… well you and Micah hover over him more than is needed. I didn't want to see a rift start between you two, like it has in the past. But you're right, it certainly isn't any of my business and I'll stay out of it."

"I appreciate your concern, Lou. I know after Mark initially picked up the badge I over stepped my bounds some, but we worked that through. Like I told Mark, the day Micah made him deputy was the day I realized I didn't have a little boy who needed protecting anymore."

"I'll fix you some steak and potatoes and heat some more broth for Mark. I'll bring it over when it's ready and it's on the house tonight, no arguments."

"Thanks, Lou."

Lucas went back over to the clinic to find Micah and Doc still talking. As he took a seat across from the men he took off his hat and waited for a good time to interrupt.

"So really Doc, how bad is he?"

"Lucas he didn't do that ankle of his any favors and his head is rattled. His side will take a few weeks to heal and it'll be sore for quite some time. I'd give him four weeks before he can start doing a little bit around the ranch, but I don't want him chopping wood for at least six."

"When can I take him home?"

"That I'm not sure about yet, I still need to watch him, he only woke up this afternoon." The concern showed on Lucas's face, but he didn't say anything. "If everything is fine for two days, I'd suggest seeing Lou about getting him a room at the hotel. Maybe we can talk about him going home about a week after that. But again, no ranch work and no deputing until I say so."

"And just how do you expect me to keep him in bed all day?" Lucas asked with a laugh.

"I honestly don't think the first few weeks will be much of a problem; he's in a world of hurt right now. Maybe Micah can give him some of that paperwork that's piling up on his desk."

"Mark and I already talked about that," Micah stated. "He was looking for things to do five minutes after he woke up. I'll be sure to send plenty of paperwork over to keep him busy."

"You have four weeks worth?" Lucas asked. "I give him three weeks before he's sneaking work in around the ranch, behind my back."

"three?" Micah inquired. "Two at the most."

"He'll stay put until I give him a clean bill of health," Doc informed. "I'll have Lucas lace his water with medicine to make him sleep if I have to. His body needs rest."

All three men turned as they heard from the other room, "I CAN hear you, you know!"

**9MC9**

Mark continued to improve and two days later he found himself settled in a hotel room, far enough back so he wouldn't be disturbed by the hotel guests. Lou checked on him frequently while Lucas was working at the ranch and more often than not, found him peacefully asleep.

One evening, Lucas returned to the hotel room to find Mark rousing from a sound sleep.

"Well, look who finally decided to wake up," Lucas teased as he set his rifle in the corner.

"When did I fall asleep?" Mark asked as he tried to stifle a yawn. "I don't understand why I'm so tired…"

"Doc said it was to be expected. You forget you banged your head up pretty bad before you went and rode on a posse, before you got shot. And to answer your question, after lunch."

"But it's nearly four-thirty; why did you let me sleep so long?"

"Because you're exhausted and you need the rest. Give yourself time, it hasn't even been a week since you got shot. You'll have plenty of time to get things done after you've rested."

"Do you still have that town council meeting tonight?"

"In about a half hour. We can get something to eat now or wait until the meeting is over."

"If you're not hungry, I'd rather wait until the meeting's over… less people down stairs."

Lucas sat on the bed beside his son as he spoke, "You know, Mark, there's nothing to be ashamed of in your injuries. It's alright to let people see that you're human and you can get hurt. You're going to have to face people, eventually."

"…But I let them down, Pa."

"Mark, what on earth are you talking about?" Lucas asked in confusion. "You let no one down."

"I let Micah down, I let the town down, and I let myself down. My intentions were to get the money and Stephan back, and a lot of money was lost because I wasn't paying attention and got myself shot. If I had been better engaged… if I hadn't let my guard down…"

"Hold it, Mark. First of all, Micah and this town are both proud of you; you took two bullets in the line of duty. Your intentions were good, and you did your best to fulfill those intentions. The money wasn't lost because of you, and you don't know that you weren't paying attention."

"I do, Pa. I started remembering some yesterday afternoon and then most of it came back today. I let my guard down after the other two men left because I figured the outlaws were well gone and… and to be honest, I couldn't think straight. I should've known better than to go out there… if I hadn't been there, someone else would have been with Stephan and the money-"

"Mark, regardless of what could have happened the money was money and that can always be replaced. If you hadn't been there, John Hamilton told me they probably wouldn't have found Stephan. Your brain might have been in a fog, but they could have sneaked up on anyone else just as easily. You know how simple it is to walk up right behind someone without their knowing it; you've been doing that to me since you could walk," Lucas light-heartedly teased. "Mark, there's no reason you should be disappointed in yourself. You did your job and your duty the best you could. At that point, it wasn't even necessarily either one considering the condition you were in when the posse left town. You're being too hard on yourself, Son." Still seeing the discouragement in his son's eyes, Lucas went on, "Mark, there's nothing anyone could've done any differently. You got shot and it is what it is; you can't sit here feeling sorry for yourself."

"I'm not feeling sorry for myself!" Mark exclaimed as he sat up a little more.

Lucas sat there quietly, letting Mark's temper diffuse before he went on, "You're well headed in that direction, Mark. I can see it and I don't want you going down that road. I've let myself do that too many times in the past and I can't sit here and say nothing while I watch you make the same mistakes I have. It's alright to be vulnerable. We're all vulnerable. Just accept what happened and learn to move on; there's nothing more you can do, Mark."

"…Pa, what am I supposed to move on with? It's not like Micah's gonna really want me back as his deputy, or like I'm gonna be any use on the ranch for a long while."

"Mark, just give it some time. And of course Micah wants you back as his deputy, he's told you himself. Actually, you never weren't his deputy in the first place and while it may be a while before you can get back to pulling cows out of the mud, that doesn't mean you're useless."

"And if I do put the badge on again? What about the next time I get shot or… or what if-"

"Mark, you're not going to get killed." Lucas let out a heavy sigh as he put his hand on his son's shoulder, now beginning to see the whole picture. "The first time I got shot as a deputy, shortly after I married your Ma, I got to the same place you're at. I was scared about picking up that badge again and I was scared of getting myself killed. Your Ma had to put up with quite a grump for about a month before she finally realized what was going on and talked some sense into me. Son, your mother helped me realize that I was trying to blame the badge for something it couldn't take credit for. She reminded me that deputized or not, I would have gotten into the same situation because I was trying to help people I cared about. That badge had nothing to do with who I was or what I was willing to stand up for, and it doesn't have anything to do with who you are or what you're willing to stand up for. Facing death is frightening, and I don't blame you one bit for being scared. But you can't blame the badge, Mark. You knew this day would eventually come when you decided to pick up the badge, but you can't blame it. If you hadn't been Micah's deputy and stepped off the train to find the same situation, you still would've been on that posse and you would still be lying here. Life is what it is, Son, and we can't be afraid of that. Use your badge as a tool to stop people like the men that shot you, but don't run from the badge because you're afraid of getting hurt. Courage isn't ever about not being afraid. It's about rising above those fears and facing them."

"…I know," Mark replied as he nodded his head. "Thanks for reminding me, Pa. Deep down I knew everything you said, but… but I suppose I just lost sight of it."

"We all lose sight of it sometimes." Lucas patted his son's shoulder. "If we're gonna wait to eat I reckon I should probably go help set up for the meeting. If you need anything while I'm gone-"

"I'll be fine, Pa. Have a good time," Mark teased.

Mark read for the next several hours, waiting for the council meeting to finish. Ten minutes after seven, Mark decided to head down to the lobby and wait for Lucas to get back. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he had hardly taken two steps before Lou called from the desk, "Now Deputy, just what do you think you're doin' down 'ere? Ya should be back up in that room restin', not walkin' around, asking for somethin' else ta get hurt!"

"Weren't you the one who gave Micah and Pa a big speech about not hovering over me?"

"They're men and that's different. Now again, what, my I ask, are ya doin' down 'ere?"

"Just waiting for Pa, Lou," Mark chuckled as he walked to the desk. "We're supposed to have dinner after the town council meeting and I figured he should be getting back some time soon. Besides, a little exercise will do me some good; I can't just waste away upstairs."

"Oh, here we go… It's not even been a week and you're already gettin' yourself into mischief. What is your father goin' ta do with ya when it's time fer you ta go home?"

"Excuse me?" Mark and Lou turned around to see a woman standing behind them, trunk in hand. She had brown eyes and soft, brown hair piled into a fancy bun; a few loose curls lined both sides of her slightly pink cheeks. "I do apologize for interrupting, but I was wondering if either of you knew where I could find Lucas McCain?"

Lou waited for Mark to speak up, but when he didn't she glanced at him to see him lost in the woman's small smile. She fought the urge to chuckle before replying, "I'm Lou Mallory, I own this hotel. Lucas is in a meetin' right now, should be back soon. This is his son, Mark."

Hearing his name, Mark slightly jumped before removing his hat and introducing himself, "I'm Mark, Mark McCain. You're looking for my father? I didn't realize he was expecting someone."

The woman gracefully smiled and shook Mark and Lou's hands as she replied, "He's not expecting me in particular, just the new school teacher. I was told to ask for him when I got here and the man at the train station said to try the hotel."

"Did something happen to the other teacher?" Mark inquired.

"Other teacher?" She asked. "I thought I was the only one to respond to the inquiry."

"We were expecting a man… Joe Pierce," Lou explained as she looked at the reservation Micah had made a few days prior.

"Oh heavens, he did it again…" the woman cupped her mouth with her hand before quietly chuckling and shaking her head. "I do apologize. I'm Joanna Pierce, and I was back in my home town when I replied to the telegram. Our operator has known me since I was a little girl and everyone called me Jo back then. More than once Mr. Thomas has signed my name as "Jo" instead of "Joanna" on a telegram. It's caused a bit of confusion in the past. I am here for the teaching position, but I do understand, if you weren't expecting a woman…"

"No that's alright," Mark quickly assured. "We haven't had a female teacher for probably eight years, but this town certainly has nothing against it. We'd be very grateful if you'd still be willing to fill the position for us, we certainly don't want to have to close the school down."

"I'd be absolutely delighted. I was worried I wouldn't be able to teach at all this year with my mother having passed away and me not being able to look for an opening. Even if it is just temporary, I would love to be of service."

"My Pa should be here soon and we were planning on having supper in the restaurant, if you'd like to join us after you get settled in your room? I'm sure you're hungry after the train ride."

"Thank you very much, I'd appreciate that. Miss Mallory, I was told arrangements had been made for me to stay here at the hotel?"

"Most certainly. I'll help you get settled in and then let you freshen up before you join Mark and his father for supper."

"What room, Lou?" Mark inquired. "I can take her trunk up and-"

"Deputy McCain, you had surgery less than a week ago and are in no condition to be lifting! You go park yourself in that restaurant and wait for your father."

"Surgery?" The woman asked in alarm. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, it wasn't anything serious."

"I'd say gettin' shot twice is serious! Now you get goin' before I make Micah lock you up."

The woman watched the deputy raise his hands before tipping his hat at the young woman and walking towards the restaurant.

"I would have never guessed that he just had surgery; you said he was shot? …I'm sorry, I don't mean to be inquisitive, I just… I had no idea…"

"Don't apologize," Lou assured as she turned the register around for the woman to sign. "Mark's a fine deputy and when our bank was robbed last week he went after the outlaws, even though he had been thrown from his horse on a cattle drive and sent home to rest. The outlaws had taken our teacher, Stephan Griswold, as hostage. They found him injured, but alone. The men went to get some water from the creek when the outlaws came back and found Mark with Stephan. They shot him twice; grazing his head and hitting his side. The bullet was in there for about a day before our doctor got it out."

"And the limp?" She inquired as Lou started to show her upstairs to her room. "I noticed he favored his right leg as he walked."

"He did that on the cattle drive as well, but it still didn't stop him from leading the posse. From what I hear, they never would have found Stephan if Mark hadn't been out there, but it'll be a while before he's fully functional again. I don't envy Lucas, trying to keep Mark from over doing it. Mark's a good man who always wants to be doing; he doesn't know when to rest."

"That sounds like my mother," Joanna smiled in reply. "Your town is very lucky to have a deputy like him. …The teacher, how does he feel about my being here?"

"Don't let Stephan get to you," Lou chuckled as she opened a hotel room door for Miss Pierce. "He wouldn't trust anyone with his students and isn't happy about being laid up, either. The rest of us are more than grateful to have you here and if you need anything, just let us know."

"Thank you very much. I will admit I was a bit nervous about coming to a strange town, not knowing anyone; but from what I've seen I think I will enjoy my time here very much. You and the deputy have already made me feel so welcome."

"Well, while you're here North Fork is your home and we want you to feel welcome. I'll leave you the freshen up." Lou handed Joanna the key to her room with a smile before shutting the door behind her.

**10MC10**

Lucas walked into the hotel lobby and glanced into the restaurant to find Mark sitting at one of the tables.

"Mark, what are you doing down here?" Lucas asked as he took a seat beside his son. "You should've waited for help."

"I'm fine, Pa, it did me some good to walk around on my own. I hope you don't mind, but the new school teacher arrived this evening and I invited her to join us for supper, seeing as how she was looking for you, and being new to town and all."

"She?" Lucas inquired in confusion. "I thought it was a man? Micah said a Joe Pierce responded to the telegram."

"It was a Jo Pierce, Joanna Pierce. The town telegraph operator made a mistake when he sent the wire, seeing as how everyone calls her "Jo" back where she grew up. She was worried that since we were expecting a man we wouldn't want her to fill the position, but I assured here it wasn't a problem. Lou was helping her settle in her room and she should be down here any minute."

"Well I'm glad you and Lou were here to welcome her." As Lucas looked at his son, he saw a look in Mark's eyes that hadn't been there in a long time; a look indicating his son was up to something.

"Say, Pa," Mark began as he licked his lips, "Seeing as how tomorrow's Sunday, you were planning on us going to church, weren't you?"

"Yes, I was; Doc mentioned tonight that it might be a good idea for you to get out a little. Why do you ask?"

"...Just seeing what your thoughts were," Mark innocently replied.

"Mark, I know you and that look in your eyes tells me you weren't just making conversation."

"Well, I guess I was also thinking that maybe, since I am the town deputy and I was in school not too long ago, it would be a good idea for me to show Miss Pierce around the school tomorrow. I mean it wouldn't be fair just to dump her into a classroom she's never been in before, with a bunch of students she doesn't know."

"And you think that much walking around is going to be good on your side, not to mention your ankle?"

"My ankle is fine, Pa, and you said yourself Doc said it might be good for me to get out a little."

"Yes, a little. I think church-" Lucas stopped short as he and Mark turned to see a beautiful young woman approach their table. Both men stood and before his son could get to it, Lucas pulled out a chair for the woman. "You must be Miss Pierce, our new school teacher. I'm Lucas McCain, and I think you've met my son, Mark."

"Yes, I have. The deputy and Miss Mallory were both ever so helpful. I do apologize for the misunderstanding about my being a woman…"

"No problem at all," Lucas assured as he and Mark sat back down. "The entire town is grateful you were willing to take the position."

"It was my pleasure."

The woman continued to hold a graceful smile as they conversed, and Lucas could now see what his son was up to.

"I was told to get into contact with you as soon as I arrived in North Fork, but I apologize for intruding on your dinner."

"No intrusion at all," Lucas answered. "After supper I'll give you the keys to the school house and if you would like…" Lucas slightly hesitated before going on, "...Mark and I can show you around the schoolhouse tomorrow afternoon between services and lunch, if you would like to join us, the marshal, and Miss Mallory."

"Services?" The woman inquired.

"You do go to church?" Lucas asked.

"Oh, of course," the woman chuckled, "Forgive me, it's been a terribly long day and I suppose I am a little tired."

"How long have you been teaching, Miss Pierce?" Mark inquired.

"I started in my hometown, when I was about sixteen. Our former teacher died and I was all we had. We had someone more qualified come out the next year, allowing me to receive some more formal instruction, and I spent last year teaching in California. When my mother took ill I went to take care of here until she passed away, and then I heard about the opening here. Again, I'm very grateful for this opportunity."

"We're glad to have you here," Mark told her. "I am sorry to hear about your mother."

"I miss her dearly, but I am happy to know she's in a better place."

"Was she originally from New Mexico?"

"None of us were, actually. My parents were both from Oklahoma and I was born there. We moved here shortly after my father passed away to live with my grandparents. After they passed on we stayed put, mother having a job there already."

"What part of Oklahoma?" Lucas inquired. "Mark was born in Enid."

"We were just south of you then, in Oklahoma City. Did you enjoy Oklahoma?" She asked of Mark.

"... I don't recall much. We moved shortly after I turned six. But it will always be home, in its special way; my mother is buried there."

"I can understand. I was around the same age when my father passed away. But I've loved New Mexico since the day we arrived. The land is so beautiful; the way the hills roll and how the sunsets paint the evening sky… it's breathtaking." The woman quietly laughed, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to go on."

"Don't apologize, it is good country," Mark agreed.

It wasn't long before the waitress came to take their order. As they waited for the food, Lucas listened as the two young adults conversed. As Lucas ate, he watched as the food on his son and Miss Pierce's plates got cold. After waiting some time, Lucas asked for the bill.

"Miss Pierce, it was wonderful meeting you and enjoying your company, but I have some things to attend to. I'll see you in church tomorrow. Mark, I'll see you when you come up."

"Goodnight, Mr. McCain."

"Goodnight, Pa."

Lucas waited until he was out of the restaurant to let out a chuckle.

"And what tis so hilarious, Lucas McCain?" Lou asked, looking up from the desk.

"What, you didn't notice?" Lucas asked as he looked back into the restaurant.

"I noticed the moment she came in the door," Lou answered with a smile. "I just wasn't sure if you would catch on."

"I could hardly get two words in after the introductions were made. I can't believe that's my son in there…"

"And what's so hard to believe Lucas? Can't a young man of Mark's age find himself attracted to a beautiful, polite young woman?"

"Oh he can, it was just that two weeks ago Mark swore he wasn't going to get married for a long time."

"Well as ya know, women have a way of changin' a man's mind."

"That they do," Lucas laughed in response.

"How was the council meetin'?"

"Just about as long, boring, and frustrating as any other. But I did hear that there's a barn dance over at the Davis ranch coming up in about three weeks…"

"Oh is there?" Lou asked as she leaned over her books.

"And I was wondering if you would save me a dance, for old time's sake."

"I suppose I could try ta squeeze ya in," Lou answered with a smile.

"Squeeze me in between what, the apple pie and fried chicken?"

"Lucas McCain!"

Turning to leave while he could, Lucas called, "Have a goodnight Lou!"

Lou couldn't help but let a frustrated smile creep onto her face as Lucas left the hotel and headed for the marshal's office.

As Lucas entered the office he found Micah pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Howdy, Lucas-Boy. What brings you by?"

"Well Mark's a little preoccupied this evening so I figured I'd come by and keep you company."

"Preoccupied? I thought you two were having dinner together."

"We did, but he invited the new school teacher to join us. Turns out Jo Pierce is really a Miss Joanna Pierce, a young Joanna Pierce who my son has taken quite a shine to."

"Well, it's about time that boy takes a shine to someone," Micah laughed. "You want some coffee? Fresh pot."

"Sure."

As Micah poured his friend a cup of coffee, he went on, "I take it Mark's doing fine if he's up to entertaining guests?"

"Overall he's doing pretty good. He still hurts a lot, but that will just take time."

"Lucas, when he first woke up he was a bit shaken about getting shot. How's he been with that?"

"We had a good discussion this afternoon. He was scared and a little more than a bit shaken, but I think he's coming out of it. Miss Pierce has definitely seemed to speed that process up."

Both men turned their heads when someone came running into the office.

"Micah, a brawl broke out at Sweeney's!"

"Want some help?" Lucas offered.

"Thanks. Eli, we'll be right over…"

**11MC11**

Sunday afternoon came, Lucas insisting he walk Mark and Joanna to the schoolhouse, concerned his son might overdo himself. For the rest of the afternoon, Lucas watched as his son and the school teacher engaged in light hearted conversation; oblivious to everyone else.

As the days passed, Mark became stronger and was walking around more and more. While Lucas was at the ranch, Lou often caught Mark sneaking out of the hotel, right around lunch time and shortly before the children were dismissed from school.

One afternoon, Lou was working at the front desk when Lucas returned from the ranch.

"Howdy, Lou. Mark up in his room?"

"No, but I'll give ya two guesses as to where he could be," Lou answered with a sparkle in her eye.

"The schoolhouse?" Lucas answered with a chuckle as he shook his head, Lou nodding with a smile. "It's like he's ten years old again. I don't know how long its been since I've seen that much of a gleam in my son's eye."

"I don't know what he's goin' ta do when Doc releases 'im to go home."

"Well he best come up with something, I just finished talking to Doc and he wants to see Mark this evening. If everything checks out alright, I can take him home tomorrow morning."

"I'm glad, Lucas… I really was worried about him when they first brought him in."

"Well thankfully that whole mess is just about behind us. Now I just get to deal with him for two or three weeks around the ranch."

"The ranch?" Mark asked as he walked up behind them.

"Good timing, Mark. We need to get you over to Doc Burrage's, he wants to see if he can let you go home tomorrow."

"Oh…" Mark replied, allowing more disappointment in his face than he meant to.

"Come on, Son," Lucas said as he slapped his son's shoulder. "Let's get this over with."

Lucas followed his son to Doc's office and they waited as the physician finished with another patient. After Mrs. Baker left, Doc welcomed them into the back room.

"Well, Mark, how are you feeling today?" The doctor asked as Mark unbuttoned his shirt.

"Pretty good, all things considered."

"Are you still feeling nauseous in the mornings?" Burrage inquired as he examined the bullet wound.

"Some, but not near as bad as in the beginning."

"And how about your head? Do you still have migraines?"

"Again, not as bad, but yes."

"And how's your medal of honor down here been feeling?"

"Well I wouldn't go so far as to call it a medal of honor, but it's still sore when I stretch or move just right. Itches more than anything."

"Alright, if you promise to take it easy I'll let Lucas take you home tomorrow. But you are to take it easy. No chores, no riding BlueBoy, and absolutely no driving the team. Pulling on those reigns aren't going to do the pain in your side any favors, you hear?"

"Yeah, I hear…" Mark sighed. "Thanks for saving my life, again, Doc."

"It was certainly my pleasure. Just keep putting that salve on your scars and don't be afraid to use that pain medicine I gave you."

"Doc, about the barn dance at the Davis' coming up in a few weeks…"

"You can go and put some meat on those bones of yours, but absolutely no dancing. If you're anything like your father, you'll pull all your stitches out by the end of the first song!"

Mark and Doc had a good laugh as Lucas glared at Doc with a disapproving frown; but he couldn't hold it for long. The tall rancher soon joined in the laughter before putting a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Well, Son, if you're going to have dinner with Miss Pierce I suggest you head back over to the hotel."

"How did you know I was taking Joanna to dinner?"

"You've spent every night this week together, I figured that was kind of obvious, especially since you already knew I had plans with John Hamilton this evening."

"We haven't spent every night together," Mark defensively answered. Lucas and Doc both raised their eyebrows at the young deputy as Mark though over the last week. "…We weren't together Sunday night…"

"Thanks, Doc," Lucas chuckled as he slapped his son's back. "Mark, we best get going."

That evening, Mark waited in the hotel lobby for Joanna to arrive before escorting her into the hotel restaurant. They enjoyed the evening, doing more talking than eating. During a lull in the conversation, two other customers passed their table talking about the Indian uprisings.

"…If I read one more article about the government complaining about another Indian uprising instead of doing something about it, I think I might scream," Joanna commented as she turned to Mark. "I don't know why they think talking is going to anyone any good."

"What exactly do you mean, do something about it?" Mark inquired, unsure if he wanted to delve into a very sensitive political topic, especially when he wasn't sure of Joanna's position.

"I mean actually make peace and stop treating those poor people like animals. It's absolutely shameful the way they herd them together and force them to sit on the reservations. It's their land! I wouldn't blame them for uprising the way the women and children are separated from their families…" She briefly paused before quieting some, "Wouldn't you agree…?"

"I couldn't agree more," Mark answered with relief. "It's like they forgot a whole war was just fought over men's rights. They may live differently than us, they may speak another language, but they're man just the same. They're not perfect, no one is. Most of the time the Indians can be very peaceful people, if they're not provoked into war."

"It makes my stomach turn. I had a friend once, in an Indian tribe. She was the sweetest, most thoughtful person I ever knew. Then the government came and took her away from her family. I never heard from her again. Her family never saw her again. Her son grew up with no mother."

"It's not right and I can't wait for the day when we'll all be able to stand together, side by side, as brothers. That day may be along time in coming, but hopefully one day it will get here. Slowly, progress is being made. My Pa and I have an Indian friend who is a U.S. Marshal."

"I can't imagine what he had to go through to get there."

"It's not easy for him all the time. The first time he came here, there was quite a bit of resistance. But people came to understand that he was a man, deserving as much respect as Micah or any other fine lawman."

"And you."

"I'm just a small town deputy, I couldn't measure up to half the man Marshal Buckhart is."

"Couldn't measure up? Mark, you took two bullets in the line of duty. You risked your neck to save Stephan Griswold, and try to get the money back for the bank."

"But I was just doing my job. Micah would've done the same thing."

"But not everyone would have done the same thing. And the measure of a man isn't just about heroics; it's about his values, his morals. His integrity. Helping out at the Grady's this summer while Mr. Grady was away wasn't part of your job, and neither was fixing the Young's roof while they were visiting family back east."

"How did you know about that?" Mark asked in surprise. "In fact, just how did you know about either of those things?"

"I know a lot of things about you, Deputy McCain," the woman replied with a teasing smile.

"But I asked Ryan not to say anything about the roofing supplies; I told him-"

"Now don't you start getting your dander up, Mr. Benn didn't say a word to me about the Young's roof. Or the fact that you go check on the widow an hour from town every week."

Mark gave her a strange, confused look as he tried to understand how she knew these things.

"You have eyes watching you Mark," she softly spoke. "Young, impressionable eyes that see the good you do in this town; eyes that look up to you."

"What are you talking about?"

"The first day of school, I asked the children to write me one page about who they wanted to be like when they grew up. One name kept popping up in the boys' papers. Your name."

Mark still sat staring at Joanna, shocked and not quite believing what she was telling him.

"As I got to know you, I wasn't surprised one bit. I see the way you interact with them when you stop by the schoolhouse. You take the time to make them feel important and special. You're never too busy to answer a question or tell a story. In the papers I read, several boys wrote about how you were a good deputy and they bragged on how good you were with the rifle, but in every paper I can think of, they talked about something you did or do for the people of this town, not because you have to, but because you care about people. Mark, these boys look up to you and admire you. Mark, in those boys' minds, you're ten feet taller than the president himself. You measure up just fine, don't cut yourself short."

Mark sat there speechless for a few moments before finally responding, "Every child idolizes somebody in their life, and usually it's someone with a badge…"

"You're impossible to compliment, you know that?" Mark and Joanna slightly chuckled before she went on, "Seriously, Mark, you mean something to this town. Even… even though we haven't known each other long… you mean something to me."

"…I have to admit the feeling is mutual," Mark casually replied.

"I'm glad to hear it."

After supper that evening, Mark saw Miss Pierce to her hotel room before retiring to his own room to find his Pa still out. After pulling off his belt, boots, and shirt, Mark fell backwards onto the bed and lied across it, looking up at the ceiling. He couldn't get what Joanna had said earlier that evening out of his mind. He couldn't believe what he had said in response to her and wondered… wondered if maybe… could she be the one? Mark tried pushing the thought aside, but he couldn't help but think about it. They had only known each other a week… but Mark felt as though it had been the best week of his life. Whenever he was around Joanna, whenever he thought about Joanna… this feeling settled inside him that he couldn't shake. A good feeling… a welcome feeling. As Mark thought about the way Joanna's curls had seemed to flow down her face, the way her soft, brown eyes had looked at him… the softness of her hands and the gentleness of her voice, he couldn't help but…

Mark bolted upright as the thought crossed his mind. He shook his head and looked into the mirror with a furrowed brow and confused brain. Could he really… really have fallen in…

Mark's train of thought was again broken as the door opened and Lucas came inside, hat and rifle in hand. He shut the door behind him and put his rifle in the corner before looking up to see Mark staring at him from the bed.

"Mark, are you alright, Son?" Lucas asked, concerned by the look on Mark's face.

"Uh…" Mark shook his head and retreated to underneath the covers as his went on. "Just tired and wasn't expecting you, that's all, Pa."

Lucas chuckled as Mark turned around to face the wall, having a pretty good idea of what was going on inside his son's head after his conversation with Lou downstairs.

"If you say so, Son…"

**12MC12**

Over the next few weeks, Lucas found himself often chuckling at his son. Mark avoided all conversation about Miss Pierce with Lucas, but whenever they would go into town he made an effort to make sure he spent some time with Joanna. While at the ranch, Mark found himself alone with his thoughts all too often. He wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but he knew this wasn't something he couldn't talk to his Pa about… yet, anyway. However, Mark did find himself asking Lucas more and more questions about his mother, and as Lucas answered, Mark couldn't help but seeing more and more of his Ma in Joanna.

As predicted by anyone who had known the McCains long enough, Lucas certainly had his hands full trying to make his son rest. Regardless of the fact that he tired easily and still had some discomfort due to his various injuries, Mark couldn't stand sitting around the house all day while Lucas worked the range.

The night of the Davis' barn dance finally arrived, and Mark was more than happy to be getting off the ranch to do something other than going to the clinic so Doc could tell him what he couldn't do. As Lucas pulled the team into the Davis' yard, he shot his son one last warning look.

"I'm not ten years old anymore," Mark said before Lucas could say anything.

"No, you're not, and I expect you to act like it and listen to the doctor. No dancing."

"I know." Mark jumped down from the buckboard, a little too hard and sharply breathed in as he landed.

"Mark?" Lucas asked with concern.

"…I'll be more careful, don't worry."

Lucas shook his head and smiled as he watched Mark walk away from the team and towards the Davis' barn.

"Lucas, I'm glad you and Mark could make it," Mr. Davis greeted as he walked up to the team.

"So am I. It's been too long since everyone has been able to breathe and have a little fun, I'm glad you and your Mrs. decided to host the dance."

"Well between all the ranchers dealing with their cattle and then the bank getting robbed and what happened to Stephan and Mark… well, everyone needed a chance to relax. How's Mark been doing? He's still not back as deputy yet, is he?"

"No, it'll probably be another two weeks, but we'll all be relived when that day gets here."

"He giving you trouble?" The rancher asked with a laugh. "If there's one thing I know about your son, it's that he certainly doesn't take no for an answer and he can't not be working."

"You've got that right. He's been better than I was expecting him to be, but I think that's only because of how serious his injuries were. But he's still a handful. I thought parenting was supposed to get easier as they got older, but was I ever wrong about that."

"I know what you mean. They may be grown men, but… but you can't help but still want to protect them with everything you've got. Billy got thrown from a bronc the other day, busting his wrist. I think I was more scared then than the day when he must've been… five, six maybe? He fell out of a tree and broke his arm, also knocking himself unconscious."

"Well, at least now we… hope, they have the sense to be a little more careful the next time."

"So, what's the story with Mark and the teacher?" The man asked, gesturing as the two walked away from the barn. "They know each from some place else?"

"No, they met the first night she got into town. But Mark's head over heels if I ever saw a young man in love. Now we just have to get him to admit to it."

As the two ranchers continued to talk, Mark walked Joanna to the front porch of the Davis' home where they both sat down, looking up at the stars.

"…I guess it won't be long before you'll be leaving us," Mark quietly began, "Seeing as how Stephan will be back in the classroom not too long from now…"

"And just what does that have to do with me leaving?"

"You mean, you'd want to stay?" Mark asked, sheepishly looking over.

"…Well, I don't exactly have any family to go back to… and… and I suppose North Fork… well, there's just something so special about this town. There's such a sense of… security and… and I've felt so welcome here, and I… was somewhat hoping… you might… want me to stay?"

"Joanna, I'd be thrilled if you were to stay, but I want it to be something you want to do… and, and you have to think about it logically, where would you stay? Where could you get a job?"

Joanna slightly smiled as she replied, "I'm glad you want me to stay, because Stephan talked to the school board and offered me a job as North Fork's second teacher. Once he returns to the classroom, I'm supposed to work with the younger students in the church in the afternoons while he works with the more advanced children, to provide them less distractions."

"So you're staying here, for good?"

"As long as I'm wanted, I'll be here."

"Even if it's not the school board that wants you?"

"Especially if it's not the school board."

Joanna and Mark found themselves lost in each other's eyes, a soft smile on Joanna's face. Mark moved to place his hand on hers, and they both slowly leaned forward until…

"Hey, Mark?"

The deputy and teacher both jerked backwards and stood to see Billy Davis and Sarah Fuller walking up to the porch.

"Hi, Billy," Mark nervously replied. "What are you up to?"

"Sarah and I just decided to get out of the barn. It's a bit too crowded and since she won't let me do any dancing anyway…"

"What happened to your hand?" Mark inquired, seeing the cast.

"I busted it riding a bronc the other day, but I'm still not sure why that got my dancing privileges taken away."

"Because, Billy," Sarah began to chide, "We both know that you take square dancing a mite… too seriously, and you'd end up breaking your wrist trying to dose doe!"

Sarah and Joanna both pleasantly chuckled as Billy rolled his eyes.

"Say, since you're not allowed to have any fun either," Billy said to Mark, "Why don't the four of us go walk that old Indian path; there's a full moon."

"You up for a challenge?" Mark asked of Joanna.

"I just hope the two of you can keep up with Sarah and me!"

Billy and Mark offered their arms to their ladies and Micah watched from outside the barn as the foursome headed towards the woods. He chuckled, thinking back to the days when Mark and Billy would take that same path, but fishing poles in hand instead of young ladies.

"What are ya laughin' at, Micah?" Lou inquired as she came up beside the marshal.

"Oh, just watching the kids…"

"I think ya can hardly classify them as kids anymore," Lou said as she saw the small group in the distance.

"Lou, compared to me, everyone's a kid," Micah answered with a laugh. "And how are you doing, Lou?"

"Fine," Lou replied with a hint of confusion. "Whatever makes you think it wouldn't be?"

"Just seems to have been something different about you lately, can't quite put my finger on it."

"Well ya don't have ta worry, everything is fine… plain and simple, but fine…"

"Now you can't tell me that answer wasn't asking for more questions. What's going on?"

"…Lucas and I agreed years ago now that we were just friends. Good friends. And I know it can't ever be anythin' more than that. I love the hotel, I love runnin' my own business, but sometimes… Micah, I guess I just realize that I'm probably going to turn out to be an old spinster. I know I asked fer it, but… well, as my dearly departed father would say, there's nothin' in the world as valuable as havin' the capacity ta dream. It's dreamin' that got me here."

"Lou, you may have the capacity to dream, but you certainly don't have the capacity to become an old spinster. You'll find someone, at the right time, I'm sure."

"Well I'm not so sure about that, but thanks, Micah.

The evening passed, bringing everyone present an enjoyable start to the fall season. Lucas got his promised dance from Lou before she and several others began to make their leave. As the crowd dissipated, Lucas began looking around for his son, who was no where to be seen.

"Lose Mark?" Mrs. Davis inquired as she came closer.

"Looks like it," Lucas chuckled. "Have you seen him?"

"He, Billy, Miss Fuller and Miss Pierce all left on a walk earlier this evening. The Fullers are outside talking to my husband, waiting for the four of them to get back, and might I add, Mr. Fuller isn't too terribly pleased with our son. Neither am I."

"Billy's a gentleman, I'm sure they just lost track of time."

"I know, and I know Mark wouldn't let anything inappropriate happen, either. They should've just thought through going off alone a little more. But they are adults, whether I want them to be or not…"

"They may be grown, but I think the problem is the four of them are too innocent to think about the fact that it might have looked better if someone else was with them. To be young and in love again… I remember when Margaret and I were that age… without a care in the world."

"Now we get a little dose of what our parents went through when we went off and did things like this. It's strange watching things come around, full circle. It won't be long until Billy and Sarah are married, building their own home, having children of their own… it makes me miss the days Billy was begging to lick the batter bowl, or even the days he skipped school."

"That's one event I certainly could have done without."

"…Of course with the exception of the day he and Mark snuck off together. The two of them managed to get into so much mischief growing up I'm surprised they didn't ever end up in Micah's office. Lucas, I don't know how you did it as a single…" Mrs. Davis quieted as she caught what she was saying. "I'm sorry, Lucas, that wasn't…"

"Don't worry about it, Laura. It was a struggle. There were so many things Margaret would have known how to handle that I had absolutely no clue about. It was trying many a time, especially when he would act out because of the loss of his mother. But somehow, we made it through. I'm glad there were people like Hattie, Milly, and Lou who could give him some mothering."

"I'm sure they were grateful to have someone to be a "mother" to, even just once in a while."

Lucas and Laura both turned their heads as they heard Mr. Fuller raising his voice for his daughter to get in the back of the buckboard.

"Sounds like they're back," Lucas commented as they walked towards the front of the house.

They reached the front porch just as the Fullers were driving away, Billy with an embarrassed smile on his face. Lucas looked to Mark and Joanna who were both trying to hide their laughter.

"Well, look who decided to show up," Lucas called.

"Sorry, Pa," Mark answered with a shrug, "We lost track of time and then Sarah tripped over a tree root on the way back so that slowed us down with Billy having to carry her."

Now understanding more the look he had seen on Mr. Fuller's face, Lucas chuckled and put a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Well, we should be getting on home. Miss Pierce, can we drive you back to town?"

"Thank you, Mr. McCain. I'd appreciate not having to ride Willow back in the dark."

"Mr. and Mrs. Davis, thank you for the evening," Mark offered.

"We're glad you all could come," Laura replied. "Have a good night!"

**13MC13**

Two weeks after the barn dance, Lucas was returning from town and entered the barn to find Mark saddling BlueBoy.

"Where are you headed, Son?" Lucas inquired as he dismounted from Razor.

"I'm standing shift in town tonight." Seeing the look on his Pa's face, Mark went on, "Pa, Doc did say I could return to my regular activities. I've been working around the ranch for a few days and I really need to get back to helping Micah out. I've been gone too long."

"You ready?"

"As much as I can be. I still had some things to work through after we initially talked, but you were right; I would've been shot whether I was a deputy or not. It'll be a little intimidating walking the town tonight, but I know it'll be fine."

"I'm proud of you, Son."

"I wouldn't be who I am if it hadn't been for you, Pa. Thanks for putting up with me all these years."

"Well I figured if I wanted help around the ranch, I'd have to get free labor from you," Lucas quipped. "What time do you figure on being home tomorrow?"

"About nine or so, I figured I'd give Micah a little more time off tomorrow morning since I've been gone so long. Maybe we can move the cattle grazing in the east meadow after I get back from town."

"Sounds good," Lucas answered as Mark swung up into the saddle.

"I put a stew on for you, should be ready in about twenty minutes."

"What, you're not eating before you go into town?"

"I'm meeting someone at the hotel for supper tonight."

"Oh really?" Lucas teased. "Who is it?"

"The President of the United States," Mark shot back. "Have a good night, Pa."

"See you in the morning, Son." Lucas hit BlueBoy on the rump, sending his son out the barn doors.

As Mark rode to town, his nerves about standing shift became stronger and stronger. He had expected this, but it was worse than he had anticipated. Nevertheless, Mark knew this was something he had to do, and if he didn't do it now, he might never be able to.

Mark met Joanna for supper, trying to not think about the next twelve hours as much as possible. After saying goodnight to Miss Pierce, Mark made his way over to the office to relieve Micah for the evening.

"Reporting for duty, Marshal," Mark called as he entered the office.

"Mark, good to see that badge back on you," Micah commented as he stood from the desk. "I sure have missed having you around here."

"Yeah, I noticed," Mark answered as he lifted the stack of completed paperwork he had brought with him. "How you get so behind in this stuff amazes me…"

"Give it twenty years, you'll learn the fine art of procrastination." Micah briefly paused before going on, "Mark, I don't have any reservations about you standing shift tonight, but I would completely understand if you wanted a little more time, or if you'd rather work a day shift, first."

"Thanks, Micah, but I can do this and I need to do this. I've had enough time off, anyway."

"Well if you need anything, you can always go wake John Hamilton up," Micah teased.

"Thanks," Mark smiled back, "But hopefully it'll be a nice, quiet night and nobody'll have to be woken up, including me."

"Well, deputy, she's all yours." Micah started to make his way to the door. "Have a good night."

"You too, Micah. And thanks."

After the door shut behind Micah, Mark made his way to the desk and chuckled to himself as he saw the mess of papers waiting for him. After spending a few minutes straightening the desk, Mark left the office to start on his rounds.

The nerves Mark had felt on his way into town seemed to have completely disappeared as he walked the town. It felt good to be wearing his badge again, to be serving his town again. As Mark visited with the shop keepers and business owners, they all commented on how good it was to see Mark back on the job again. Mark checked the bank one last time before returning to the office and turning down the lamps, then letting himself fall asleep in one of the cells.

About one in the morning, Mark heard a knock at the office door and went to answer it.

"Let me guess," Mark said as he tried to stifle a yawn. "Fight at Sweeney's?"

"Sorry Mark," Thelma apologized. "He tried getting them to calm down, but…"

"I understand."

Mark followed the saloon girl back to Sweeney's to find complete chaos erupting inside. Card tables were being turned over, the men that weren't standing were wrestling on the floor, and Mark shielded his face as two men went through the front window. Stepping inside, Mark let several shots off towards the ceiling and waited for the commotion to settle. Two men were still going at it, and Mark and Sweeney stopped closer to pull the two away from each other. Just as Mark was able to tear one man away, the other sent a hard punch flying. Mark stumbled backwards, but caught himself before he fell to the ground. Realizing he had just slugged the deputy, the man began to stumble out an apology.

"I… I sure am s-sorry, deputy. I… I's didn't-"

"Don't bother," Mark answered as he rubbed his jaw. "Now as I hear it, Sweeney gave all of you fair warning to cool it. Right, Sweeney?" The bar keep nodded as the other men slowly looked around, glaring at each other.

"Since you didn't take his suggestion, you're all going to have some time in the jail so you can calm down. Then first thing tomorrow you'll all come back and help Sweeney clean this place up. Then he'll let you know what each of you owe him for damages. I'm not really in the mood for arguments, so unless you also want a fine on top of everything else, I suggest you all come peaceably."

"you can't fit all of us into the jail!" One man complained.

"You all don't seem to mind sharing personal space, seeing as how close you all got this evening. Let's get going."

Some men hesitated at taking orders from the young deputy, but they knew he didn't make idle threats, and they knew he had the law behind him, regardless of his age. Mark walked the men to the jail and locked them in the cells. It took a while for them all to quiet down and get to asleep, but eventually the quiet of the night returned. Mark sat down in a chair and put his legs up on the desk, hat over his eyes and rifle across his lap.

After getting a few more hours of sleep, Mark got up for the day and started coffee, knowing the men would need some before they headed over to Sweeney's. After Mark opened up the cell doors, the men came filing out… except for two. One man lied still on the bed, while the other sat in the corner, head to his knees.

"Logan, Mason, let's go," Mark ordered.

When Mark didn't get a reply, he entered the cell and made his way to the bunk. Pulling the blanket off of Mason and turning the man over, Mark saw beads of sweat on the man's clammy skin. Taking a step towards Logan, Mark saw him shivering and when he lifted the man's head, he found the same thing.

"Oliver, Michael, Ethan," Mark called from the cell. "Help me get these two over to Doc's. The rest of you get some coffee and head over to Sweeney's. And I will find out if you don't show."

Mark and the three men quickly got Mason and Logan over to Doc's office. When Mark called for Doc as they entered, Burrage replied from the back room for Mark to wait where he was. They set the men down in the chairs and waited for the doctor to come from the back room a few minutes later. Seeing the two ill men, Doc immediately began to examine them.

"Mark, what happened?"

"I don't know, Doc, they were fine last night. I had to lock a bunch of them up from the saloon last night and this morning we found them like this."

"The saloon?" Doc asked again. "What did they have to drink?"

"I don't know," Mark answered as he looked to the other men, who shrugged. "Why?"

"I have another man back there that went to the saloon last night and he looks just like Logan and Mason. I think Sweeney got a bad shipment of something. Mark, I want you to go tell Sweeney not to serve anything until we get to the bottom of this."

"Sure, Doc." Mark turned to the other three, "Help Doc here and then come over to the saloon."

Mark jogged over to the saloon and was pleased to find all the men that were supposed to be there cleaning the place up. Mark made his way to Sweeney who stood cleaning glasses at the counter.

"Sweeney, I hate to break it to you, but Doc thinks you got a bad case of something. He has three sick men that were here last night over at his office. He's not sure what they drank, but he doesn't want you to serve anything until he knows for sure what the problem is."

"Do you know how long that will be?"

"No, but I'll talk to the other men and see if I can't help speed up the process."

As the men worked to put the saloon back in order, Mark talked to each of them to try to get to the bottom of what had made the others sick. But as Mark talked to the men, he became less convinced that a bad case of whiskey or keg of beer was the problem. Neither Logan or Mason had drank something at least two others hadn't.

Mark left the saloon and was heading towards Doc's when David Grady came running up to him, out of breath.

"David, what's the matter?"

"Miss Pierce..." David gasped for breath before going on, "Sent me to find you; she- she said-"

"Calm down, David, take a deep breath." The boy did so before Mark went on, "Now, what's wrong? Did something happen to your teacher?"

"No, not Miss Pierce." The boy again took in a deep breath. "A few of the kids at school fell asleep at their desks… kinda one right after another, I think they're real sick. Miss Pierce got really worried and sent me to find you."

"Alright, let's go."

Mark and David ran back to the schoolhouse. Several of the children were sitting outside the building, but everyone was quiet. Mark told David to stay there and went inside the schoolhouse to find Joanna kneeling at the desk of one of her students.

"Joanna?"

The teacher stood and quickly walked towards the deputy, worry on her face.

"Mark, I don't know what happened, they were all fine when they got here this morning! Christopher was the first to fall asleep, and I tried waking him, but he wouldn't rouse. I felt his forehead and it was fevered. Before I could think about what to do, I heard a thud and Evelyn was on the floor, and then…" Joanna looked around the classroom, five children asleep at their desks, shivering. "I couldn't just leave them so I sent David for you and the rest of the children outside… Mark, I've never seen anything like this!"

Mark could hear the fear in her voice and reassuringly put both hands on her shoulders.

"It's going to be alright. Keeping the other children outside was a good idea. Help me get these ones over to Doc's and then we'll worry about everyone else."

Joanna nodded and followed Mark's directions. She managed to pick up one of the smaller children while Mark got two others. They stepped outside to see the rest of the children worriedly staring at them.

"Everything will be alright," Mark assured. "You all need to stay right here, and do NOT go inside. Miss Pierce and I will be back in a few minutes."

The children silently nodded in reply and watched the deputy and teacher carry their classmates out of sight.

Mark called for Doc as he and Joanna entered the clinic.

"Mark, Joanna?" Doc asked as he took a child from Mark.

"It wasn't something from the saloon, there's two more still at the school."

"Let's get them in the back. Miss Pierce, I want classes cancelled."

Mark suddenly looked at Joanna and asked, "Where's Stephan?"

"He…" Her eyes widened as she continued, "He sent word he wasn't going to be in class today because he wasn't feeling well..."

"We'll have to check on him later."

Mark and Joanna ran back to the school to get the other two ill students and took them to Doc's. They sent home anyone that lived in town, but Mark told the students who lived farther out to wait.

"Joanna, I'm going to take them home. I want to make sure they don't come down with anything on the way back and I'll explain to the parents out of town if you want to start with the parents here."

"I'll check on Stephan when I'm done, too."

Mark nodded and asked the rest of the students to wait in the school yard until he could get a buckboard from the livery. As Mark headed that way, Lou came running out of the hotel.

"Mark, I've got two sick guests in the hotel, somethin' is goin' on!"

"I know, there's eight people over at Doc's now. I don't think he has any more room, so I'd leave them there. I've got to take some of the school children back home. Would you do me a favor and let Micah know what's going on?"

"I will," Lou answered with a nod.

Mark hurried to the livery and explained to Nils before the two worked to rig up a team. Mark drove to the schoolhouse and loaded up the kids that hadn't ridden to school that morning. As they started out of town, there was an eerie silence until finally Julia asked, "Deputy Mark, are they gonna… well… what if Doc Burrage can't make them better? What if… he can't make anyone better?"

Mark thought for several moments before answering, "If there's anyone that can make them better, It's Doc Burrage. You don't need to worry yourself about it."

The silence continued. By ones and twos, Mark dropped the children off at their homes and briefly explained the situation to the parents, also cautioning them to stay away from town unless someone came down sick. Finally, it was just Mark and Jeffery Turner, a thirteen year old who lived quite a ways from town.

"You told Sarah she didn't need to worry herself about it," The boy commented. "…That's what my Pa told me, right before my uncle died. Deputy McCain, do you really think all those people are going to be alright? Truly?"

"Jeffery… I don't know what to think. I certainly hope so. Doc is a good doctor, he's saved a lot of people's lives. And usually if you catch an illness early on, it's easier to stop. We just gotta hope and pray that everyone will be alright."

"Are you going home after this?"

"No, I gotta go back to town and help."

"But you could get sick!" The alarm could be heard in the boy's voice.

"I know that, but someone has got to help Doc out. It wouldn't be fair to just leave all those people alone. They need someone to take care of them, and it's my job to help take care of the town."

"So if you weren't the town deputy, then you could go home?"

"…I could go home now, but it wouldn't be right. Whether I'm a deputy or not I need to help people. It's part of my job, as a member of the community."

"Then I want to help, too."

"I'm sorry, Jeffery, but you need to stay home with your parents."

"I may not live in town, but I'm a member of the community, just like you!"

"Yes, you are. But at different ages, we all have different responsibilities to attend to as members of the community. My job is to stay in town and help Doc. Your job is to stay out here with your parents and make sure no one gets sick. See, I can't stay out here with you and your folks to make sure everyone stays healthy. That's where you come in."

"What about the neighbors? Can I help check up on them?"

"That's something you need to talk to your parents about. They know a little bit more about what you can do at your age than I do."

As soon as they arrived at Jeffery's home, the boy ran inside to change his clothes. Mark explained what had happened to the parents, as well as Jeffery's desire to help out.

Realizing the time and that his Pa might be getting worried, Mark headed towards the ranch. He hadn't been on the road long when he saw his Pa approaching in the distance. When they were close enough to each other to hold a conversation, Mark pulled the team to a stop and called for his Pa to hold up.

"Mark, what's going on?" Lucas asked, still riding closer.

"Pa, please stop." Mark waited for Lucas to halt Razor before going on. "There's something going around town and whole lot of people are taking sick. I got so busy I forgot what time I had told you I'd be home. I need to go back to town and give Doc and Micah a hand."

"I'll come with you then."

"Please, Pa, don't. Doc's not sure what's going on and he doesn't want this to keep spreading. The best thing is for you to stay home and don't come anywhere close to town."

"Mark, what about you?"

"Pa, I've already been well exposed, I might as well be there to help. Please, I've got to do my job and I don't want to have to be worrying about you, too."

"Mark…" Lucas was torn between ignoring his son's pleas and doing what he knew was best.

"Please, Pa."

"…Alright, Son. But you be careful, and if you start feeling sick…"

"I'll let someone know. I'll be out to the ranch when it's safe. I love you."

"I love you too, Mark."

Lucas watched as Mark turned the team around and headed back towards town.

"Please, God, watch over him."

**14MC14**

Mark returned the team to Nils before running back over to the doctor's office to find several more people in the waiting room. He entered the back room to see Doc tending to patients.

"What can I do to help?"

"I just sent Joanna to Lou's to get blankets and whatever else she can find. I need you and her to go set up an infirmary in the schoolhouse, I can't keep everyone here."

"Do you know what it is yet?"

"It's too soon, but I've already sent word for people to make sure all their food is thoroughly cooked and to boil any drinking water for a long time before using it."

"You think it might be cholera?" Mark worriedly inquired.

"Maybe, but no use sending the whole town into a scare. Let me know when you and Joanna are ready, I've got plenty of people that could use a bed."

"Sure thing, Doc."

Mark left the back room to see Freddy Toomey bringing in another patient. Mark gave the man a hand before quickly making his way back over to the schoolhouse. He stepped inside to see Miss Pierce and Lou hard at work.

"Joanna, what can I do?"

"If you could move more of the desks into the corner, we're going to need the room."

Mark nodded and began moving the rest of the desks to where Lou and Joanna had already placed the first few. He helped them set up a few more beds before heading back to the clinic and asking Doc who he wanted taken over to the schoolhouse.

"Start with Logan and then Stephan, I'll tell you who's next when you get back."

"Mr. Griswold did take sick, then?"

"Yes, but he's not as bad as the others, which is why I want him over there. You might want to get Freddy back over here to help you move the men."

Mark nodded and did as the doctor suggested. After getting everyone situated, Mark ran back and forth between the schoolhouse turned infirmary and the clinic, running errands for Lou, Joanna, and Doc, and keeping the doctor informed about the condition of those at the schoolhouse. Just when things had seemed to finally have settled down some, Mark returned to the office to see if Micah needed anything, only to find Micah heavily leaning on the desk.

"Micah!" Mark yelled as he ran to the marshal and helped the man sit down.

"I'm fine, Mark…" the marshal tried to insist. "I just… got a little… dizzy…"

"No, you didn't just get a little dizzy. How long have you been feeling- it doesn't matter, I'm getting you over to Doc's."

"Mark, I'm fine, I just… need a little… rest…"

"No, you're coming with me." Mark didn't give Micah another chance to argue before he started helping Micah up and out of the chair.

Thankful the office was just across the street, Mark half carried, half drug Micah to the clinic and set him in a chair in the waiting room. Mark quickly got a glass of water from the pot that had been boiling on the stove and waited for it to cool before making Micah drink some. The young deputy became increasingly worried as Micah became weaker and waited until Doc Burrage finally came out of the back room.

"Same symptoms?" Doc asked as he took a seat on the other side of Micah.

"He could hardly stand when I found him in the office," Mark answered as he nodded his head. Mark gave the doctor a moment to examine a half unconscious Micah before asking, "Do you want him in the back room or over at the school house?"

"I'll help you get him over to the school for now."

The two men stood the marshal up and got on both sides of him before taking him over to the schoolhouse. As Mark and Joanna worked to settle Micah in, Doc took Lou aside.

"I didn't want to say anything to worry Mark more, but Micah's… on the edge. I don't have room for him over at the office. If his fever spikes or he gets any worse in any way, I want to know about it right away."

"I'll be sure ta get you," Lou replied in understanding; she looked across the room and saw the worry etched on Mark's face. "Doc, please get him out of here, it's not goin' ta be good for 'im ta just sit there and worry."

Doc nodded and called for Mark as he made his way to the doors. Mark walked to the doctor, looking over his shoulder towards Micah.

"He'll be fine, let Lou and Joanna take care of him. I need you to check up on the wells on the north and south ends of town. If the water's contaminated, there's a reason why."

"But what exactly am I looking for?"

"Sometimes people get it in their heads to throw things down the well. Old boards with rusty nails, waste, bad food… just look for anything besides water."

"Alright."

Mark left the schoolhouse and headed for the livery. It didn't take him long to saddle BlueBoy and within just a few minutes he arrived at the first well. He checked around as Doc had instructed, but didn't find anything out of the ordinary. Mounting BlueBoy again, Mark made his way to the other end of town. Again, he couldn't find anything. The deputy went back to the clinic and told Doc he hadn't seen anything unusual before starting on his evening rounds.

Most businesses had closed earlier that day after getting word that there was an outbreak of something, so unlike most evenings, Mark didn't have many shop keepers or business owners to talk with as he walked the town. However, Mark did catch John Hamilton just as the man was closing up for the day.

"Any of your staff go home sick today?" Mark asked.

"Thankfully, no. How many are sick?"

"I'm not sure. There's probably eight or nine at Doc's and another dozen or so at the schoolhouse."

"Does Doc know what it is or why it's spreading so quickly?"

"He said it's too soon to know for sure, but to make sure everyone is boiling their water and making sure their food is well cooked."

"Boiling water?" John asked. "That sounds like cholera…"

"We're not sure yet and we don't want to send everyone into a scare until we know for sure."

"I understand. Have you checked the wells?"

"Just got back from that a little while ago. Everything checked out alright, but that doesn't mean there's not something below ground that we can't see. Or it could be something entirely different. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens."

Both men let out heavy sighs as they looked up and down the vacant street. Twelve hours prior, the town had been bustling and bubbling with life. Now the only noise to be heard was a cat's meow as it crossed the lonely street.

"I hate this," Mark said as he shook his head. "Disease… it's something you can't see. Something you can't prepare for. And when it attacks, it does more damage than a dozen outlaws."

"Do they need any help at the clinic or school?"

"Thanks, but I think everything's under control… for now. I'll keep you in mind if something does come up, though."

"Don't hesitate. I'll see you later, Mark."

"Goodnight, John."

Mark finished his rounds and was headed back towards the schoolhouse when he saw Joanna outside of the marshal's office, arguing with a man just a few years older than her. As Mark got closer, he saw the man forcibly grab Joanna's arm, and before he could start to walk away, Mark fired a shot in the air.

"You let the lady alone," Mark ordered, training his rifle on the man.

"I don't recall my sister being any of your business," the man retorted.

"As long as you're causing trouble in my town, it is my business. I'll say it one more time. Leave her alone."

The man pulled Joanna backwards and let go of her arm before stepping towards the deputy.

"I don't like being told what to do, mister. And I gotta right to take care of my little sister, so I suggest you just move along."

"Sister, daughter, wife, I don't care. You don't have any right to treat her like that, and I suggest you get used to being told what to do if you intend on sticking around here any longer."

"Big words, coming from just a little man. Though I suppose you think you can just hide behind that rifle."

"Connor, please…" Joanna begged as she came up behind the man, who gave her a nudge to back away.

Mark lowered his rifle before finally setting it against the building and taking two steps closer to the man. He looked him up and down before answering, "You're asking for trouble, mister."

"I suppose I am…" the man started to turn away, but suddenly swung around, his fist flying.

Mark didn't see it coming soon enough and took a right hook to the jaw as Joanna screamed his name. Mark stumbled backwards a little, but got his balance and ducked before the man could hit him again. Mark sent a punch to the man's mid section before taking a punch to his ribs. The men kept serving and receiving blows back and forth, but Joanna could see Mark starting to weaken. Both men sent one last punch flying; Mark sent the other man into quite a daze, but wasn't conscious long enough to see his opponent fall backwards.

Joanna yelled Mark's name and ran to his side.

"Come on Joanna, lets go," Connor ordered as he started to stand.

"No! I'm going to see this through and you can't stop me!"

"Joanna, it's too dangerous, you can come back!"

"I'm not leaving, not now! I've already been exposed long enough so it doesn't matter. You just get out of here before-"

"Fine, have it your way!" The man yelled. "But if you get sick, don't try getting any sympathy from me! It won't be my fault if you mess everything up!"

Joanna ignored the man as he stormed away. She dragged Mark into the marshal's office and began tending to his injuries; Mark beginning to rouse a few minutes later.

"Mark?" Joanna worriedly called.

Mark slowly tried to sit up, but stopped half way, leaning on his right elbow. He started rubbing his head, then looked up at Joanna.

"Mark, are you alright? Please tell me you're alright…"

"I'll live…" Mark heavily sighed before sitting up the rest of the way and leaning against the desk. "Was he really your brother?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Mark, I'm sorry you got dragged into that…"

"I didn't get dragged into it, I jumped in feet first. …But your brother? What was going on?"

"He's over protective and didn't want me staying here with the sickness going around."

"But how did he know? I've never seen him in town before…"

"He was just passing through. But it doesn't matter, he's leaving. Mark, you really should've known better. He's as tall as your Pa and has at least a hundred pounds on you!"

"I couldn't just stand by and let him treat you like that!"

"You could've… but you didn't." Joanna slowly leaned forward and gave the deputy a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Mark."

"…Your brother might have a point. Do you really think you should be staying in town?"

"Mark, I've been working around sick people all day," she pleasantly laughed. "But even if I hadn't been… Mark, North Fork is my home now. This is my town. These people… well, they're almost like my family. I couldn't just turn my back on them."

"You're a kind, wonderful person, Joanna. The world needs more people like you."

"Don't cut yourself short. There's getting to be less and less people out there that would take a punch for a lady. Not to mention several." Mark winced as Joanna gently touched one of his developing bruises. "…Can I make it up to you somehow?"

"Well… after this whole epidemic is over, would you be willing to let me take you to dinner?"

"Mark, you've taken me to supper before…"

"I mean really take you. I mean… Joanna, I… I'd like to court you… officially. But only if-"

"I'd like that very much, Deputy McCain."

**15MC15**

After staring after his son for several minutes, Lucas finally turned Razor around and headed back towards the ranch. He wanted to be riding in the opposite direction, he wanted to be close to his son… but Lucas knew he had to let Mark go. Under most circumstances, Lucas wouldn't care what risk he would be put at. He would go to town and help where he could. And while he didn't care about being at risk, he couldn't get Mark's words out of his head.

'_Please, I've got to do my job and I don't want to have to be worrying about you, too_.'

Lucas didn't know if he would have ever been ready to hear those words come out of Mark's mouth. But the time had come when Lucas had to stand down and step back in order to let his son do his job. Lucas knew him being in town would be a distraction to his son, and he also knew that if he rode into town, Mark would insist on going back and forth between town and the ranch to get the chores done.

The next few days, however, were by no means easy. Things were all too quiet around the ranch and Lucas anxiously waited to hear from Mark. Although he understood that Mark had to do what he had to do, Lucas was also worried that his son would come down sick like the others.

Three days had passed since Lucas had said goodbye to Mark. He again pulled himself out of bed and grabbed a shirt to put on before walking to the front room and starting a pot of coffee. After giving himself a few minutes to wake up, Lucas went outside to do the barn chores.

When Lucas entered the building, he was slightly taken aback to see the chores already done. Looking around, Lucas didn't see anyone. He called for his son, but received no answer. Stepping back out of the barn into the yard, Lucas surveyed the land that surrounded him before squatting down to look at the tracks in the yard. Sure enough, Lucas recognized BlueBoy's tracks and shook his head as he looked up to see the tracks headed toward town.

"Mark, what am I going to do with you…" Lucas mumbled under his breath.

Returning to the house, Lucas made breakfast before mounting Razor and heading to check on the cattle. Again, Lucas was tortured by the silence that surrounded him and prayed the epidemic would be over soon and that his son could come home.

The next morning, the same scene greeting Lucas in the barn. Telling himself that at least Mark wasn't sick, Lucas saddled Razor once again and got ready for another day of work on the ranch.

When Lucas arrived home that evening, he sat in his chair in front of the fire place as the fire crackled and popped. Lighting his cigar, Lucas smiled as he looked to the kitchen table and remembered the countless nights Mark had sat there, struggling to do his homework. The last time Lucas had seen his son at that table, Mark had been pouring over another law book Micah had recommended.

Lucas wondered what the next five years held. Would Mark be married? Would Micah be retired, and if so, would Mark be North Fork's next marshal? Lucas knew it was a possibility the three of them had talked about before, but it had always seemed so distant… so far away. Lucas was proud of his son and the way he had matured the last three years. But Lucas wasn't sure if he'd ever be ready to see his son take that kind of a step. He was proud that Mark was capable to fill the position, but this ranch had never just been his. It had always been their ranch and Lucas was afraid that Mark might one day choose to leave what had been their home for almost ten years. He remembered when he and his ten-year-old son had decided to make North Fork their home; the grin on his boy's face.

Lucas smiled as he remembered when Mark had gotten his first job and the growing pains he had experienced then. He remembered Micah's words, 'Well, a boy's gotta grow into a man, you know.'

"And that he did…" Lucas whispered.

Lucas hadn't remembered there being this much separation anxiety when he was getting ready to get married and leave home, after the war. Lucas's father, as much as he loved his son, seemed more than ready for Lucas to get out of the house. Lucas remembered his Pa being happy for him… why couldn't he be that happy for Mark? Then, Lucas realized, Mark wasn't getting ready to walk out the door this minute. He still had time with his son on the ranch, and was going to appreciate the time that he had left.

Lucas turned in early that evening, hoping to wake in time to catch Mark if his son came by the ranch again. When Lucas woke the next morning, he was pleased to look out the window and see BlueBoy in the corral. Buttoning his shirt as he crossed the yard, Lucas then entered the barn to find Mark mucking the stalls.

"Morning, Son," Lucas greeted.

"Pa, you shouldn't be here…" Mark answered as he turned around.

Lucas could see how tired his son was, but was thankful exhaustion was the only thing to be seen in his son's face.

"I'm not the one who shouldn't be here, Mark," Lucas chided. "What are you trying to do? You've got enough going on in town."

"Once things settled in town enough for me to think straight, I felt bad leaving you out here at the ranch to do all the work by yourself. I figured the least I could do was come by and do the morning chores before you got up, so I wouldn't get you sick," Mark replied as he leaned against a stall door.

"Son, it looks like you need more of rest than I do. Why don't you let me finish up in here and go get a good breakfast?"

"The barn's one thing… and I don't even want to spend too much time around here. Doc's still not sure what's going on. He thought it might be cholera, but-"

"Cholera?" Lucas asked in concern.

"But we can't figure out what's making people sick. No common food sources, we checked the wells on the north and south ends of town…"

"What about the old well we boarded up a few years ago, about two miles north? Did you check that one?"

"But I thought that one was all dried up?"

"Well with the rain we've been getting, it's possible just enough water is getting through there to connect with the other water ways that connect to the water pumps in town. If something or someone broke through the boards and a dead animal or something is down there…"

"I'll check it out when I head back to town."

"Mark, I'll finish here. Go ahead and check it out, and I don't want you back here until I can have you back in the house, resting." The tone Lucas used told Mark this was an order, not a suggestion. "You're going to wear yourself out and then you'll be no use to anyone, Deputy."

"Thanks, Pa. I'll see you later."

Mark put the shovel in the corner of the stall and walked out of the barn to mount BlueBoy. Lucas stood in the barn doors as he watched Mark guide his horse out of the corral.

"Pa?" Mark called as he looked back.

"Yeah, Mark?"

"I know it's not easy, but thanks for staying here."

"You're welcome, Son."

Mark kicked BlueBoy and headed back towards town to check the other well. He was a few feet away from the well when a breeze picked up and carried the stench from below the well towards him. Pulling a handkerchief over his nose, Mark approached the well and looked past the broken boards. He couldn't see anything, but even with the handkerchief, Mark knew something was down there.

Mounting BlueBoy again, Mark headed to town and knocked on John Hamilton's door.

"Mark, what can I do for you? There's no trouble at the bank, is there?"

"It was still locked up last I saw," Mark assured. "I need your help. I think I might have found out what's making everyone sick. I'm going to need to borrow a lantern, and we need to have Lou let us into the store."

As they collected supplies, Mark explained what he had found. Once the two men arrived, John wrapped one end of a rope around a tree and to his horse's saddle horn while Mark tied the other end around his waist. Both men worked to pull enough boards away so Mark could easily get into the opening before John slowly lowered Mark down the shaft.

Gagging on the pungent stench that surrounded him, Mark used the light of the lantern to look for the source of the smell. Lucas had been right; there was enough water to flow to the other water ways and there was a dead fox just past the base of the well. Mark stuffed the animal inside a burlap sack and called for John to pull him up.

"Find anything?" John asked as Mark reached the top.

"Can't you smell it?" Mark asked as he tossed the bag aside. "Dead fox. If you let me down again, I'll work to block this well off from below."

John nodded and sent Mark down again. After the deputy had finished, Mark thanked the banker for his help.

"You not coming back to town?" John asked in surprise.

"I"ll be back in a while, I need to see that carcass burned. Will you let Doc know what we found?"

"Sure thing."

After taking care of the fox and cleaning himself up at the hotel, Mark headed over to the clinic to see Doc and Micah talking in the waiting room.

"Micah, it's good to see you up and around," Mark commented as the door shut behind him.

"It's good to be up and around. Sounds like you solved the mystery?"

"Pa's the one who reminded me about the other well, I just got rid of the fox. Doc, you think that's our culprit?"

"Without a doubt. I feel stupid for not thinking about the other well myself."

"How long you reckon before everyone can stop boiling their water?"

"I'd still give it a few weeks, but as long as everyone is boiling it, no one else should be getting sick."

"How many patients do you still have?"

"About fifteen or so still, but most of them are all on the mend. I expect we can hold church services Sunday."

"Well I best head out and spread the word to the outlining ranches. I'll be seeing you Doc. And Micah?"

"Yeah, Mark?"

"Don't even think about setting foot in that office for another week."

The two men watched the deputy leave the clinic. As the door closed behind Mark, Doc couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Micah asked in surprise.

"Just the deputy giving the Marshal orders. I don't know when it happened, but that boy turned out to be more like his Pa than any of us would've ever imagined."

"That's for sure…"

**16MC16**

That Sunday, Lucas rode into town and stopped by Micah's office to find Mark asleep at the desk. He laughed before letting the door slam shut behind him. Mark startled awake and looked around as he tried to get his bearings. When his eyes fell on Lucas, Mark relaxed and settled back into the chair.

"Morning, Pa," Mark groggily greeted. "What are you doing in town?"

"Getting ready to go to church."

"Church… church?!" Mark asked as he stood. "What time is it?"

"you have another fifteen minutes or so, don't worry."

"…I was so tired when I came back from my rounds this morning I was just gonna rest for a few minutes. Guess that turned into an hour."

"You gonna be alright until Micah's back on the job?"

"Just a few more days, it'll be alright. I've made it this long…"

"I could help you out…"

"Thanks, Pa, but this is my job and I need to do it."

Lucas nodded in understanding.

"Well, Son, let's get some coffee into you and then both of us over to church."

Everyone enjoyed the well delivered sermon and the freedom to be out and about again. Over the next few days, anyone that had still been suffering affects from the illness was finally well enough to be sent home, with strict orders to take it easy.

Wednesday morning, Micah entered the office and found Mark struggling to keep his eyes open as he worked on paperwork.

"Alright, Deputy, the doctor gave me a clean bill of health. Now it's your turn to go home and rest."

"Fine by me," Mark yawned as he grabbed his hat and placed it on his head. Mark picked up his rifle and patted Micah on the shoulder in passing. "Glad you're back, Micah…"

"Get on home, boy…" Micah chuckled.

Mark walked to the livery, saddled BlueBoy, and rode for home. When he arrived, Mark barely could stay awake long enough to unsaddle his horse and let him out in the corral. Taking heavy steps to the house, Mark tried to force his eyes open long enough to make it to his bedroom and crashing on his bunk, not bothering to pull back the blankets.

When Lucas returned home, he was glad to see BlueBoy in the corral and let Razor join him after unsaddling the horse. After making his way inside, Lucas peeked inside the bedroom to see Mark asleep on his bed, completely dead to the world. Lucas worked on some things around the house before starting supper. It was shortly after six when Lucas heard the bedroom door squeak open.

"Well, look who's alive," Lucas called. "How'd you sleep?"

"Solid. Last thing I remember was pushing open the front door." Mark stepped to the stove and lifted the lid to the pot to see what was for supper. "Sorry I slept so long. Between the normal responsibilities of standing watch, there was helping Doc out, constantly checking on the outlining ranches, trying to figure out what was making everyone sick, trying to not let everyone go into a panic… Micah was sick and…"

"Mark, don't feel like you have to explain. There's been a lot on your plate. And on top of all that, you've still been coming out and helping with the chores."

"It was the least I could do…"

"How long until you have to stand shift again?"

"…We didn't exactly talk about it. I'm guessing tomorrow night, like usual."

"You think you should?"

"…Probably not. I'll talk to Micah in the morning. I'm so tired I think I could sleep through a cattle stampede during a thunderstorm…"

"Well why don't you wash up out back? Supper's about ready and I'm sure getting food into you will help some."

"Food…" Mark mumbled as he headed toward the back door. "I don't think I've eaten anything all day…"

Lucas chuckled as he watched his son leave the kitchen. After supper that evening, Mark and Lucas spent a little bit of time out on the front porch, enjoying the peaceful evening. It wasn't long, however, before Lucas looked over and realized his son had fallen asleep. He tried to rouse Mark and putting his hands on Mark's shoulders, Lucas directed his half asleep son to the bedroom. When Lucas returned to the front porch, he saw Micah riding up.

"Micah, what brings you out here?" Lucas greeted as he stepped down from the porch.

"Mark left some of his books at the office and I figured it would give me a good excuse to ride out here and steal a cup of coffee from you," Micah answered as he dismounted and pulled the books from his saddle bag.

"Thanks, why don't you come on in?"

Micah followed Lucas inside and was surprised not to see Mark anywhere.

"Lucas, that boy of yours isn't still out on the range, is he?"

"No, Micah," Lucas chuckled. "He slept most of the day and crashed again a little while ago. He's pure exhausted."

"Well I can tell you why," Micah replied as he set the books on the table. "On top of the epidemic and watching the office for me, I can't tell you how many people swung by the office today looking for Mark to say thanks for this or that. He did a whole lot more than just check on people and look after businesses while everyone was sick. By the sound of it, he was running errands every which way for everybody this last week. Come to find out, he was even taking care of the livery while Nils was down for a few days."

"That's Mark alright…"

"I won't bother him, but tomorrow would you mind telling him I want him to take as much time off as he needs? I can take care of things for a few days."

"Thanks, Micah. I'll be sure to let him know."

The two friends enjoyed a few cups of coffee before Micah headed back towards town. After seeing his friend out the door, Lucas returned to the house and sat down in his chair, picking up a picture of his late wife.

"He's so much like you, Margaret… you'd be so proud of our boy…"

Despite Lucas and Micah suggesting that he take another night off, Mark went back to work Friday night. Only thing was, Mark forgot it was Friday night and didn't get to enjoy the quiet evening he had hoped for. Mark had just gotten to sleep when Thelma came knocking on the office door.

"Let me guess," Mark said as he turned to grab his hat and rifle. "Brawl at Sweeney's?"

Thelma sympathetically nodded and waited to follow the deputy back to the saloon. Utter chaos again greeted Mark and he let out a heavy sigh and prepared to fire his rifle. Before he could fire it though, Mark suddenly felt the rifle being pulled from his grasp. He turned to see a fist headed for his face. Mark moved to dodge the swing, but still caught the punch in his jaw. Side stepping to avoid the man's other fist, Mark jabbed the man just below the ribs and sent another punch to the man's face. Suddenly feeling arms restraining him from behind and seeing the man across from him preparing to swing again, Mark waited for just the right time to twist and drop out of the man's hold, allowing him to receive the other man's punch. Pulling the first man's legs out from underneath him, Mark rolled across the floor before standing up on the other side of the table where his rifle laid. Picking his rifle up, Mark jumped onto one of the chairs and fired it towards the ceiling.

As Mark looked around, he realized most of the fighting had already stopped before he had fired and that most people had been watching the deputy's struggle with the two men.

"Look," Mark said as he glanced around the room. "Working a ranch is hard work, I know it. Everyone needs to blow off some steam every once in a while. But I've had just about all I can take of these bar room brawls. I don't particularly like getting caught in the middle of your fist fights every weekend, and if you can't control yourselves like men, we'll have to talk to Sweeney about closing up the bar early on Friday nights. If you were fighting over money, take back what you started with and go home. If you're fighting over someone's honor, take it outside so Sweeney's property doesn't get smashed up. If you're fighting for no reason, go to the schoolyard where boys play around. Drinking is your choice and that's that. But you don't have a right to come in here and disturb everybody's evening and destroy property. Any more fights like this and everybody's getting a fine for disturbing the peace, on top of paying Sweeney back for the damages. And you two," Mark said as he trained his rifle on the two men that had attacked him, "You two are coming with me."

"On what charge?" One of the men demanded.

"Assaulting an officer of the law."

"We didn't know you were wearing a badge," the man protested. "All we knew was that a man came in here with a rifle. What else were we supposed to do?"

Mark looked over the two men and for the first time realized they weren't from North Fork.

"…Fair enough. But I want you two, and everyone else in here," Mark said as he turned to address everyone else, "To help clean this mess up."

The men mumbled and complained under their breaths, but everyone set to work as Mark turned to leave the saloon. Mark stopped at the doors and looked back at the two men that had attacked him. They looked familiar... but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Shrugging it off, Mark returned to the office.

The rest of the night went uninterrupted, and after Micah arrived at the office the next morning, Mark met Lucas at the feed and grain as they picked up their weekly supplies. As they worked at the ranch that afternoon, Lucas realized something was weighing on his son's mind.

"Care to talk about it?" Lucas asked as he looked up from nailing a board in place.

"Pa, last week, when everyone was getting sick… I… I saw a side of Joanna that I hadn't before."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Good," Mark answered. "Really good… Pa… well, it's no secret to you I've enjoyed Joanna's company since she arrived in town. I guess it's kinda obvious…"

"Kinda obvious?" Lucas chuckled.

"Pa… I told her I wanted to court her. And I would've talked to you about it first, but… but you were here, and we were in town… and we were in the moment, and I knew… Pa, I want to marry her. She's the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with."

Lucas looked at his son for several moments, trying to find the words to say.

"…Don't you think you should get to know her a little more before you think about marriage?"

"Isn't that what courtship is all about?"

"I suppose it is…"

"And aren't you always the one getting on my case about getting married?"

"I suppose I am," Lucas chuckled. "I'm happy for you, Son. Just know that you don't have to rush into things and if she is the one for you, then I can't wait to welcome her into the family."

"She's the one, Pa. I can't see my future without her there. …She reminds me so much of Ma… the way she takes care of people and the way she wants to help people. During the epidemic, her brother came through town and tried to convince her to leave so she wouldn't get sick. But she said she couldn't leave… that North Fork was her town and like her family. She was prepared to see this through, even though she could've ended up getting sick or even dying. Based on what you've told me about Ma and what I remember, I couldn't help but see Ma in her as she explained that to me. I hope one day, we have a marriage just like yours and Ma's."

"I'm sure one day, you will, Mark."

Saturday came and went, Mark returning to town to stand shift that evening. Sunday morning, Joanna sat with Lou and the McCains before they and Micah enjoyed Sunday dinner at Lou's.

Mid-afternoon, Lucas took his leave, knowing Mark had plans with Joanna that evening.

"Mark, I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll be home tonight," Mark reminded. "It's Sunday, remember?"

"Guess I forgot; have a goodnight. Lou, thanks for the meal. And Micah…"

"I'll stay out of trouble, don't worry. I'm looking forward to having my Sunday night shift back since your son has stolen it from me the last few weeks."

"Hey, I would've gladly given them up. You were too lazy to get out of your sick bed," Mark quipped.

"Have a good night, Lucas-boy."

Lucas mounted up on Razor and headed home. He worked on a few of the evening barn chores before putting a stew on for supper. Lucas had been settled in his chair reading for a while when a knock sounded at the door. He rose to answer it, and a huge smile spread across his face as he saw who was standing on the porch.

"Tom, it's good to see you!" Lucas exclaimed as he shook the man's hand and let him inside. "How long has it been?"

"Oh, I'd say at least five years now. You're looking good, Lucas."

The rancher offered his friend a seat and shut the door. "What brings you back here?"

"I was passing through on business and I figured I'd stop by and catch up for a little bit. How have you been? And that boy of yours, how's Mark?"

"I'm good, Mark's good… and has his sights on getting married," Lucas chuckled. "He's out right now with a young lady in town."

"Mark? He can't be old enough…"

"That he is. It's like I blinked and he was grown."

"He still helping you run this place?"

"Sure is, but he's also Micah's deputy now."

"Mark is Micah's deputy?" Tom Benton asked in surprise.

"And a fine one at that. I almost couldn't believe it when I watched Micah pin that badge on Mark's shirt."

"Then he was the one who got shot up?"

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked in confusion.

"…Well I happened upon some paperwork and read some reports about the bank robbery a while ago and… all the report said was Deputy McCain; I just assumed it was talking about you."

"What do you mean, "happened upon some paperwork"? Tom, you don't "happen" upon anything."

"Alright, so I had to do some research about a case I was working on."

"What kind of case?"

"…Sorry Lucas. I would tell you, but… I could lose my job."

"Sounds serious," Lucas replied in concern. "…But I understand. Would you like to join me for supper? It should be ready soon."

"Sure, Luke."

The two old friends continued to talk over the course of the evening. As they conversed, Benton started noticing something… strange. Several things, he realized. As Lucas stood to get the coffee from the stove, Tom watched as his friend used his right hand to grab and squeeze his left arm for the umpteenth time that evening. Even in the dim lighting, Tom could see that the color seemed to be slowly draining from Lucas's face. As Lucas sat down again, Benton saw perspiration on Lucas's forehead.

"Luke, you alright? You don't look too good."

"I-I'm fine," Lucas answered as he tried to pour a cup of coffee, but missed the cup.

"Lucas?" Tom asked in concern as he stood.

"Don't w-worry, it- it'll cl-clean." As Lucas stood to get a towel, Benton saw how unbalanced his friend was and how unsteady his breathing became.

"Lucas, I think we need to get you to the doctor…"

"I'm f-fine," Lucas insisted as he sat down again. "J-just a little t-tired, th…that's all…"

"Yeah, Lucas, that's not all. Come on."

Benton stood to help Lucas out of the chair, but before he could reach him, Benton watched his friend fall out of the chair and collapse onto the floor.

"LUCAS!"


	3. Chapter 3

**17MC17**

"Thank you for the evening, Mark. I haven't enjoyed myself that much for a long time."

"It was my pleasure. Will I see you around town tomorrow night?"

Joanna nodded and faintly smiled before turning and walking inside the Mallory House.

As the door closed, a wide grin continued to spread across Mark's face. Slowly, Mark wandered off the porch, nothing and no one but Joanna on his mind. Mark returned to the livery and, in a dazed state, began to saddle BlueBoy.

"Mark!" The urgency of Micah's voice as he ran inside the livery pulled Mark back to the present.

"Micah, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Mark, you need to come to Doc's; it's your Pa."

"Pa?!" Mark barely grabbed his rifle before he started running to the clinic, Micah trying to keep up.

"Mark, wait!" Micah called as Mark reached the clinic door, but Mark didn't hear him.

Running towards the door to the back room of the office, Mark hadn't realized someone else was in the waiting room until he felt strong hands keeping him from opening the door.

"Let me go!" Mark yelled, not bothering to see who was retraining him.

"Mark, let the doctor finish."

Mark stopped fighting and looked up in confusion to see Tom Benton standing there. Part of Mark did wonder what Benton was doing there, but he didn't care enough at the moment to ask questions about that.

"What's wrong with Pa? He… he was fine when he left town this afternoon…"

"Mark, I was coming by to visit your Pa. I got to the ranch and he invited me for supper and we talked, but it wasn't long before he started acting strange and grabbing at his shoulder. I started seeing perspiration and his breathing got a little strange. By the time I realized I needed to get him to town, he passed out."

"But what's wrong with him?" The worry Mark felt was evident in his voice.

"I'm not sure, we'll have to wait and see."

Mark looked into the man's eyes and could tell Benton had his suspicions.

"You have an idea of what's wrong."

"Let's just wait for the real doctor to finish."

Mark nervously paced back and forth across the office floor, the constant ticking of the clock on the desk agitating him. Mark played with his hat as he anxiously waited for Doc Burrage to come out while Benton and Micah tried to keep Mark's mind on something else.

"Your Pa told me you were out with a young lady this evening," Benton began with a teasing voice.

"How did that go, Mark?" Micah inquired.

"It went fine."

"Just fine?" Benton pressed.

"I don't want to talk about it," Mark quietly replied.

"He also tells me you're Micah's deputy now?"

Mark nodded, his thoughts still on his Pa.

"Micah, if he's grown up to be anything like his father, I'm sure you're lucky to have him around."

"I certainly am. Mark, why don't you tell Tom about that bar room brawl you broke up a few nights ago?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Mark quietly answered again.

Micah stood and slowly walked towards Mark before putting a hand on his shoulder.

"He'll be alright, Mark. Doc's doing everything he can."

"...And sometimes "everything" isn't good enough." Mark looked up and met Micah's eyes. "Micah, he can't do this to me... he can't die. What am I going to do if..."

"He wasn't shot, Mark. Sounds to me like something just went a little haywire in his system. Give Doc some time."

"Time..." Mark mumbled. His Pa was by no means old, but Mark wondered, '_just how much time DO I have left with Pa_?'

Micah watched as his young deputy paced the doctor's office. His face held concern for both Lucas and Mark.

A half hour had passed before Mark finally gave in and started to take a seat. He had hardly sat down when the door to the back room opened and Doc walked into the waiting room.

"Doc?" Mark asked as he anxiously approached the man.

"He'll be alright, Mark. Please, sit."

"If he's going to be alright, why were you back there so long?" Mark asked, his eyes falling on the door his father was behind.

"Sit," Doc ordered again, this time his tone was firmer.

Mark took a seat across from Doc Burrage. Benton watched as Mark's right knee rapidly bounced up and down as he waited for the doctor's news.

"Like I said, he's going to be alright. We are lucky your friend was at the ranch or this could have been a lot worse. Mark, your Pa had a mild heart attack."

"... A heart attack?" Mark echoed as his brow furrowed. "But how? Why? He... he was fine this afternoon..." Mark turned to look again at the closed door.

"I don't know why, Mark. It could be stress, it could've just happened, it could run in the family..."

Mark's head whipped around as concern shadowed his face.

"...My Grandmother died of a heart attack..."

"Your Pa is fine," Doc reassured, knowing the path Mark's mind was starting to take him down. "It was very mild and he got help in plenty of time. I'll have a more certain prognosis once your Pa wakes, but right now I'd say give him four or five weeks and he'll be back to normal. Your Pa's always been healthy, Mark."

"...Can I see him?"

"He's asleep right now."

"Please, Doc..."

"For a few minutes, but your Pa needs quiet and rest. I want you to spend the night at the hotel."

"I can't stay here?"

"Mark, it's for the best. I'll let you know if anything changes."

Mark slowly nodded, still remembering the story his Pa had told him about finding his own mother after she suffered from a heart attack.

"Come on, I'll take you to see him."

After the door closed behind Mark and Doc, Benton turned to Micah.

"You alright, Marshal?"

"I'll be fine," Micah replied with a nod, turning his attention to the man in the room. "Mark and Lucas are practically family to me. I know Lucas will be alright, but it'll be a while before Mark believes it. There have been a few times Mark thought Lucas was dead, and if anything ever did happen to Lucas... it'd destroy the boy, that's for sure."

"Boy?" Benton chuckled as he raised an eyebrow at Micah. "The Mark I met when I came to town a few years ago was a boy; Lucas's son has grown into a man."

"Guess it's hard letting go of someone you watched grow up. But what I said still stands. Lucas means a great deal to Mark; there's no one else in this world Mark loves and respects more."

"I could see it in his eyes." Benton nodded in agreement and glanced towards the closed door before returning his attention to the marshal. "I never introduced myself properly. I'm Tom Benton, a friend of Lucas's."

Micah shook the man's hand as he spoke, "You're the one that locked me in my own cell with Lucas," Micah chuckled as he remembered. "Lucas sure had to a lot of explaining about that whole incident."

"I hope you weren't angry with him too long."

"Just long enough to weasel a steak dinner out of him. You still working for the government?"

"Got nothing better to do," Benton answered with a half smile. "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe Lucas's son was old enough to be wearing a badge. How old is he now?"

"Lucas or Mark?" Micah teased. "Mark is coming up on twenty. He finished all his schoolin' a few years ago and took up the badge about a year and half ago."

"He make a good deputy?"

"Good?" Micah laughed. "The rate at which that boy learns, I'm surprised he hated school so much. He's read through all the books I've got and went up to Denver a few times for training classes. But he's so much more than a deputy to me and to this town. He's following in his father's footsteps and becoming a prominent figure in this community; wouldn't surprise me if one day he becomes the youngest member on the town council."

"When I came to visit last time, I know Lucas talked about how worried he was he wasn't doing a good enough job raising the boy. Looks and sounds like Mark turned out just fine."

"That he did."

"Marshal-"

"Please, Micah is fine."

Before Benton could respond, the door to the back room opened and Mark stepped into the waiting room with Doc close behind.

"Micah, would you make sure your deputy obeys my orders and stays at the hotel tonight?"

"I'll stand shift," Mark began to protest.

"Not tonight," Micah answered as he walked towards Mark and put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't you remember you were saddling up to go home when I got you? It's Sunday night."

"But I-"

"Mark, I locked your father in a cell, I'm not afraid to do the same to you," Benton warned from across the room.

"Mark, you need to take it easy. As minor as it was, your father did have a heart attack and I can see the strain it's put on you already." Doc turned towards his desk as he went on, "I don't want to see you back here until tomorrow morning AFTER you've had breakfast."

Mark looked helplessly between the three men before looking back at the closed door once again. He then looked at Tom and offered his hand as he spoke, "Thank you for bringing Pa out here, Mr. Benton."

"I'm glad I was there." Benton shook Mark's hand. "Why don't I walk with you to the hotel? I'm headed that way myself."

Mark nodded before saying goodnight to Doc and Micah, grabbing his rifle, and following Tom out of the clinic.

"I see you took up the rifle like your Pa," Benton commented.

"It's good enough for him, it's good enough for me." Mark's tone revealed the pride and concern he felt for Lucas.

"It takes more than a little thing like a heart attack to take Luke out. I mean, those war stories you heard growing up weren't make-believe."

"Pa doesn't really talk much about the war; not to me anyway." Mark's voice didn't hold bitterness, but respect for whatever his Pa had gone through during the war and his need to keep some things private.

"Well you heard your doctor, Lucas will be up and around in no time."

The two men entered the hotel to see Lou starting to dim the lamps in the lobby.

Hearing the men enter, Lou turned around and smiled as she greeted them in her Irish brogue, "Mark, I hate to tell ya, but the kitchen is closed and I'm fresh out of apple pie."

"We both need a room for the night, if you could oblige," the stranger with Mark answered.

Concern crossed Lou's face as she saw Mark's furrowed brow and slumped shoulders.

"Mark, what's wrong?"

"...Pa had a heart attack."

Lou's eyes met Mark's as she heard his quiet answer. Her hand shot to her mouth as she gasped; Lou looked at the stranger who nodded.

"Lou, this is Tom Benton," Mark introduced. "He's a friend of Pa's."

"...Pleased ta meet you... Mark, what of Lucas? Tis he alright?"

"Doc said it was only minor, but he'll be down for a few weeks. I didn't get to talk to Pa, he was still unconscious..."

Lou heard the worry in Mark's voice and tried to reassure him, "Doc's the best physician I've ever met, I'm sure you'll be takin' Lucas home in no time. Now, why don't I get the two of ya settled in rooms so we can all get a good night's rest?"

Mark registered, said goodnight to Benton and Lou, and quickly retired to his room. He set his rifle right inside the hotel room door and locked the door behind him before finally collapsing on the big feather bed.

'_What if he never wakes up_?'

Mark turned his head and looked across the room to see his reflection in the mirror. He tilted his head, seeing a rare glimpse of his Pa in his own face. It was then Mark knew he couldn't lie there and worry himself all night. His Pa would expect more of him; Mark expected more of himself. He knew he couldn't control what happened, and that one day there would come a time when Mark would have to say goodbye to his Pa.

"Please, God," Mark simply prayed, "Just don't let that time be tonight."

Knowing he couldn't do anything but wait for morning, Mark slipped under the covers and drifted off to sleep.

**18MC18**

Mark woke the next morning and pulled his pocket watch off the nightstand beside him. It was too dark to see the watch face and Mark lit a lamp to find it was just a few minutes before six.

Mark walked down the hotel stairs to find Lou waiting for him at the desk.

"Mark, I'm glad ta see ya awake. I set out some breakfast for ya on a corner table."

"How much do I-"

"Don't ya go insultin' me by trying to pay for the room or the meal; it's on the house."

"But I-"

"Deputy, don't ya make me go talkin' to the marshal about you harassing me, either."

Mark shook his head and rolled his eyes as he chuckled. "Thanks, Lou."

Mark entered the quiet restaurant and enjoyed the breakfast Lou had prepared for him. He was almost done when Joanna rushed into the room and looked around before her eyes fell on Mark.

The teacher walked towards Mark's table as she spoke, "I just heard, is your father going to be alright?"

Mark stood and pulled out a chair for her before taking his seat again. "Doc says it was minor and that he should be fine."

"How are you handling it?"

"...It was a shock. Pa's young... well, he's not old. I should've spent more time at the ranch than I have been... I didn't think about how much of a strain it could be putting on him, especially him having to do all the work during the epidemic. Pa's always been healthy and I never would have thought he had my Grandmother's heart..."

"Your Grandmother's heart?"

"She died of a heart attack. One day my Pa went in the house... and she had suffered a heart attack..."

Joanna could hear the worry in Mark's voice and gently put her hand over his.

"It's not your fault, Mark. You're at the ranch as much as you can be. I'm sure there's nothing any of us could have done, and he'll be alright in no time. You'll see."

"Maybe. But what if it happens again, what if..." Mark stopped himself and looked up at her. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be bothering you with this..."

"Please, Mark..." Joanna moved Mark's plate aside and took his other hand. "I want to be here for you, I want to listen. ...If you'd be willing to talk to me. I know we haven't known each other for long, but... I feel so free around you; I feel like I could trust you with my deepest secrets. I want you to feel the same way... but of course, I'll respect your privacy if..."

"I'd appreciate being able to talk to someone." Mark let out a heavy sigh. "Pa's my whole world. You know my mother died when I was just six… and it's just been the two of us since she passed away. We left Enid and travelled around for four years, never really having a place to call home. We were each other's home. ...Pa means everything to me, because he was all I had. I've come close to losing him too many times... and when I found out it was a heart attack..." Mark's voice faltered and it took him a few moments to find it again. "This wasn't some outlaw that could be thrown in jail. He had been hurt by something that I can't see or stop. I wasn't there when it happened and... and I'm honestly afraid I'll come home from standing shift one night and find him the way he found my Grandmother. ...My Ma died from smallpox and when she first took sick... I was the one to find her collapsed on the floor. It's been nearly fifteen years since my Ma died, but I don't think I can take losing another parent right now... he means everything to me..."

"But you don't have to face losing your Pa right now, Mark. You told me yourself the doctor said it was only minor."

"Doctors can be wrong..."

"But you know as well as I do that the Good Lord can't be. Have faith, Mark. It will all turn out."

Mark nodded as he deeply inhaled. "Thank you, Joanna. Can I walk you to the schoolhouse?"

"No, but you can finish your breakfast and then go and see your Pa. I'm sure seeing him will make you feel better. I'll stop by after school to see how he's doing."

"Thank you."

Joanna stood and kissed the deputy on the cheek before briskly walking away. Mark watched as Miss Pierce left the restaurant, a faint smile on his face, and oblivious to Lou's chuckling from behind the desk.

After finishing breakfast, Mark left the restaurant and stepped into the lobby.

"Thanks for breakfast, and the room, Lou."

"The least I could do, Mark. Although I will say, you best be careful; the deputy and teacher of a town both have reputations to uphold."

Lou laughed as Mark's cheeks reddened in embarrassment.

"I'll see you later, Lou."

As Mark stepped out onto the boardwalk he looked up and down the street to see North Fork just starting to come to life as the sun peeked from behind the hills. Mark slowly walked to the doctor's office and took in a deep breath before putting his hand to the door knob. As Mark stepped inside he could hear his Pa arguing with Doc from the back of the office. He let out a sigh of relief, glad his Pa was feeling well enough to be yelling at the doctor.

As Mark made his way to the back room, he could hear Doc arguing back.

"Lucas, you had a heart attack and need to rest! I won't be letting you go back to the ranch until I know you won't try to over do it!"

"You can't keep me here!"

"But I can keep you in jail," Mark warned as he stepped into the room.

Doc and Lucas both looked up at Mark as he closed the door behind him.

"Pa, nice of you to wake up," Mark stepped to Lucas's bedside as he spoke.

"Not much use being awake if I can't do anything..." Lucas complained as he crossed his arms.

"Lucas, as your physician I only have your best interest in mind. Please listen to me."

"Tom had no right to bring me into town."

"Pa, you were unconscious!" Mark turned to the doctor as he went on, "Doc could you give me a few minutes with Pa?"

"I'm tired of saying the same thing over and over again. He's all yours, Mark. Good luck."

As the door closed behind Doc, Lucas looked up at his son. "Now, Mark-"

"Pa, you need to hear me out and listen to what I'm trying to tell you."

Lucas was a bit shocked at the tone of his son's voice, but as he looked into his son's eyes, he saw a mixture of relief and worry. Lucas relaxed his body language and nodded his head.

"You had a heart attack. We both have to face that fact. Now while I'm thanking the Good Lord it was a minor one and that I'm talking to you right now, we have to treat this like it is. I know you dread the idea of being laid up. We both do. We're both stubborn and thick headed and don't like seeing other people do our work. But the day comes when everyone has to ask for help and rely on other people. I know I'd be dreaming if you waited for Doc to give you a clean bill of health to start working again, so I'm not gonna bother addressing that right now. But until you truly feel like you can handle working, I'm asking you to rest. And when I say until you truly feel like you can handle it, that doesn't mean until you want to handle it or think you can handle it. I've already lost one parent too early in life and I know it's only natural for me to one day have to say goodbye to you, but this isn't that season of life and I'd appreciate it if you'd stop trying to make it that way." Lucas started to open his mouth, but Mark continued before he could say anything. "And about Tom. You're being completely irrational. What if he hadn't been there? Would you rather have me come home last night and find you-" Mark stopped himself and softened his tone, realizing how worked up he had gotten. "...Would you rather I had found you... the way you found your mother?"

Lucas could hear the fear and hurt in his son's voice. Memories of his own mother's death flooded Lucas's mind and as he looked back up at his son... he knew that for Mark's sake, this was a battle he couldn't fight.

"Alright, Mark." Lucas sat up a little more before going on, "Son, are you alright?"

"You scared me, Pa," Mark admitted. "…But when I entered the office I knew if you were up to yelling at Doc at the top of your lungs, you would be alright."

"I'll apologize to him later."

"How are you feeling?"

"My chest hurts a little and I'm exhausted. More hungry than anything."

"I'll ask Lou about getting you some breakfast," Mark answered as he put a hand on his Pa's shoulder. "Anything in particular you want?"

"Start him on something simple, Mark," Doc called as he came into the room again. "Oatmeal should do."

"Oatmeal?" Lucas complained.

"Just this morning, we'll look at getting you something with a bit more bulk for lunch."

"Yeah, I think liver and onion soup was the special for today," Mark teased with a gleam in his eye. "I'll be back."

Mark left the office and started towards the hotel when he saw the two men from Friday night riding out of town. An uneasy feeling came over Mark as he stared after them, unable to place where he had seen them before. Upon entering the hotel, Mark took off his hat as he approached Lou.

"Mark, I wasn't expecting ya back this soon," Lou commented. "Lucas still sleepin'?"

"No, in fact, he's hungry and I was wondering if we could get some oatmeal for him."

"Sure thing," Lou answered with a smile before disappearing into the kitchen.

As Mark waited for Lou at the desk, he saw Tom Benton coming down the stairs.

"Morning Mr. Benton," Mark greeted as he went to shake the man's hand. "I'm sorry I wasn't the friendliest last night. It all came as quite a shock."

"Don't worry about it, Mark. And Tom will do. Have you been to see your Pa this morning?"

"I was just over there. He's awake and asking for food, so that's a good sign."

"How'd he take the news about being laid up for a while?"

"Not well," Mark laughed. "But I don't think I've ever been so happy to hear him yelling at anyone."

"I can imagine," Tom chuckled. "I'll stop by later and visit."

"I'm sure he'd appreciate it." Mark briefly paused before going on, "I'm glad you were there last night. What are you doing back down here?"

"I'm working on a case and figured I'd stop by to see the two of you."

"What kind of a case?"

Mark watched as the man hesitated and debated. Debating about what, Mark wasn't quite sure.

"…I'll have to tell you about it later."

"Is something wrong?"

"No… it's just… tricky. Mark, I have some work to do, but I'll by the clinic to see your Pa."

"…Alright. See you later."

Mark watched as the man picked up his hat and walked out of the building. Mark walked to the window and watched Benton cross the street and look around before entering the marshal's office. Shaking his head, Mark walked back to the desk and waited until Lou finally came out with a bowl of oatmeal for Lucas.

"Thanks Lou, I appreciate it."

"Not a problem, Mark. Tell your Pa I said we're praying for him."

"I will," Mark called as he left the hotel.

Walking back towards the clinic, Mark looked up the street and saw John Hamilton entering the bank. In his mind's eye, Mark was suddenly watching two men riding away as he crumpled to the ground beside a fire.

"Well are you going to just stand there all day, or come in?" Doc called through the half open door of his office.

Mark walked the rest of the way into the clinic, the scene still playing over and over again in his mind.

"Mark, are you alright?" Doc asked.

"…I'm fine…" Mark quietly answered. "…Doc, could you take this in to Pa for me? I have some things I need to take care of…"

"Mark?" Doc called again.

"Thanks…"

Mark set the bowl of oatmeal on the desk and slowly walked back out of the office. He stood on the boardwalk, staring at the bank until he finally began walking towards the livery.

"Howdy, Mark," Nils called as he looked up from brushing down a horse.

But Mark didn't hear him. All he heard were gunshots.

"Mark?" Nils asked as he stepped closer. "Mark?"

When the blacksmith put a hand on his shoulder, Mark looked up at the man.

"Nils, I got some things to take care of… but if I'm not back in a couple of hours, tell Micah I headed north out of town."

"Mark, what's going on?"

"I'm not sure…"

Nils watched as Mark saddled his horse and rode down the street without saying another word. Thoroughly confused and somewhat concerned, Nils made his way to Micah's office and found the marshal and Tom Benton talking.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Micah, something's not right with Mark."

"Well Lucas had a heart attack last night…" Micah started to explain, but stopped when Nils shook his head.

"This isn't that. He had a real funny look on his face and rode out of town. He told me that if he wasn't back in a few hours, I should tell you he rode north out of town."

"Well that's just great," Benton complained. "Micah, we need to find him and tell him what's going on."

"Tom, I think our news can wait a few days. His father did just have a heart attack."

"With all due respect, Marshal, this isn't the type of matter that should wait. He's your deputy and he needs to know, and he needs to be ready and paying attention to things around town."

"Ready for what?" Nils inquired.

"Ready for absolutely nothing," Benton sternly replied.

"Thanks, Nils," Micah offered. "I'll figure out what's going on."

"…Alright."

Both men looked at Nils, waiting for him to leave the office.

"I guess I'll be seeing you."

As the door closed behind the blacksmith, Benton turned to Micah.

"I don't know where Mark went or why, but we need to find him and get him back here so we can start planning."

"I know," Micah sighed. "I just wish the timing was better."

"Don't we all."

**19MC19**

Mark stepped down from BlueBoy and examined the tracks in the dirt. With so many other horse and wagon tacks though, Mark was beginning to have a hard time making heads or tales of what he saw. Passing BlueBoy's reigns from his left hand to his right, Mark continued to stand at the fork in the road and debate about which path to take. He was just mounting up when he heard someone calling his name from behind. Mark turned around to see Micah riding up behind him.

"Micah, what brings you out here?"

"Nils told me what you said back in town."

"But I haven't been gone a half hour," Mark replied in confusion.

"I know, but I need you back at the office. We need to take care of some things."

"Micah, can it wait? I really…" Mark stopped as he saw the look on Micah's face. "What's wrong Micah? It's not Pa, is it?"

"No, it's not your Pa. Benton will explain when we get back, but it's a matter of national security."

"National security?" Mark asked.

"I'll explain it all when we get back to the office."

"But…" Mark looked back and let out a heavy sigh. "…I guess it wasn't much use, anyway."

Micah watched as Mark mounted up and started riding towards town. Micah rode beside Mark, curiously staring at the deputy.

"Mark, what were you doing out here?"

"It's nothing, just a wild goose chase."

"Son, you don't go on wild goose chases. Mark, something's bothering you, what is it?"

"…Friday night when I broke up the brawl at Sweeney's, two men attacked me. They claimed they just saw a man with a rifle and didn't know what else to do, so I let them off. But I had this feeling… like I had seen them somewhere before. Today I saw them riding out of town and I had the same feeling. Then I took a look at the bank and… Micah, I think they were the men that tried to kill me when the bank was robbed."

"Are you sure Mark?"

"…As sure as I can be. I'll admit the lighting was bad and I had just been shot. But I… I have this feeling in my gut and the more I think about that night… the more I think it was them. But I wanted to be sure… so I was going to try to trail them, and confront them. But I didn't get out here fast enough and their trail doesn't stand out from all the other tracks."

"That tells me why you're out here, but that doesn't explain what's bothering you."

"They shot me once. They almost killed me. They could do it again and… Micah… after everything that happened it never really hit me that they were still out there. Before, I was upset about not getting the money back, but now… now I realize they're not so long gone. Now I realize they could come back… and try to finish what they started. I've seen too many people try to do that to Pa. I was… I was scared out of my wits to saddle up and trail after them… but I knew I had to. And now… now I'm still scared and disappointed in myself for not being able to find them. I owe it to Stephan and the rest of the town to see them put behind bars. It's not right that they're still as free as a bird."

"No, it's not right. But it's not your fault, either. One day they will see justice. And you don't need to feel ashamed for being scared, either. I was scared silly when Dan Maury showed up in town to settle his score with me. But the measure of a man isn't based on if he scares. Being scared keeps your senses alive. You're measured by your willingness to face your fears. And you were willing to do just that."

"…Micah, do you think they recognized me?"

"If they did, they didn't know you recognized them or they probably would have tried something in town. Just be thankful they're gone. If there wasn't more pressing matters at hand, I'd ride with you to try to find them, but this can't exactly wait. We have a lot of work to do."

"National security… what, we have another senator coming through town?"

"Something like that…"

"Micah, why don't you just tell me?"

"I can't talk about it here. We need somewhere more private."

The two men continued towards North Fork and put their horses up in the livery before walking back over to the office where they found Benton at the desk, maps and papers everywhere.

"Is this the case you couldn't talk about?" Mark asked as he shut the door behind him.

"Yes," Benton replied. "And Mark, I have to swear you to absolute secrecy. You can't tell anyone, not even your Pa about what I'm getting ready to tell you, and you don't speak a word of it outside of these four walls, you hear?"

"I can't tell Pa?" Mark asked in confusion. "What's the big deal?"

"You hear?" Benton pressed with raised eyebrows.

"…I guess I don't have a choice," Mark replied as he sat across from Benton. "Just what's going on that has you two acting like Benjamin Harrison is coming to town?"

Benton turned towards Micah and demanded, "What'd you tell him?"

"I didn't say anything," Micah answered as he raised his hands.

Mark looked back and forth between the two men, complete shock shadowing his face.

"You're telling me… the president… the President of the United States, is coming here, to North Fork? As in… here?"

"Yes," Benton answered with a nod. "And that's why I'm here. I'm supposed to be helping with the security details."

"But why… when… how…?"

"He's passing through on his way to deal with some army and Indian issue. He'll be here in four days, traveling in a stage coach with a security detail. He'll stay at the hotel overnight and then be on his way. There's been rumors of an assassination plot by a group of rebels that think we're still fighting the civil war. They're not too keen on his efforts to get blacks voting rights, or all the statehood talk."

"What do you want us to do?" Mark asked.

"I need you to keep extra eyes and ears out, keep an eye on any strangers in town, and the night he gets here, the three of us are going to be taking shifts walking the streets."

"What is the security detail going to be doing the whole time?" Micah asked.

"They'll be covering the hotel. Now take a look at this map…"

For the next hour, the three strategized and planned for the impending arrival of the president. They worked and reworked routes and escape plans until they were confident in what they had come up with. With everything set, Benton excused himself to work on some of his other paperwork in the hotel room, leaving marshal and deputy alone.

"Micah, do you need any help around here?"

"No, I'm fine. You should go see your Pa."

"Thanks."

Mark left the office and headed towards the clinic. He entered his Pa's room to find Lucas asleep, his bowl from breakfast sitting half way off the edge of the bed. Mark walked to his Pa's side and grabbed the bowl before putting it on the nightstand and then taking a seat beside Lucas. Mark chuckled to himself, thinking how strange it was to see their roles reversing at times. It would be a long time before Mark had to take care of his Pa, but it was a day that would come… and he couldn't wait until he could set his own son in "Grandpa's" lap. Mark thought through the years… all he and Lucas had been through together… everything his Pa had done for him. Everything his Pa had taught him. Everything his Pa meant to him.

Mark's thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. He stood to answer it and found Joanna standing on the other side.

"How is he?" She inquired as Mark let her inside.

"He's resting now, but he woke up this morning. Aren't you supposed to be at school?"

"Lunch," Joanna explained. "I figured it'd be a good time to visit seeing as how I'll have some students to deal with later this afternoon."

"What about Stephan? Doesn't he usually deal with that sort of thing?"

"Yes, but… well, it's two of the younger girls."

"The girls? Which ones?" Mark asked in surprise as he raised an eyebrow.

"Annie and Georgia. Most of the time they're as sweet as angels, but today… I just don't know what's gotten into them. Annie pulled out a sling shot of all things and Georgia… well she decided to dip Julia's braids in her inkwell…"

"I would expect that from their brothers, but not the two of them… I wonder what's gotten them acting so strange."

"I don't know, but I intend to get to the bottom of it, sooner or later. I just wanted to check on your Pa, and see how you were holding up."

"Thank you, Joanna, it really means a lot."

"Mark, about last night… it truly was a wonderful evening. Like I said… I haven't been able to enjoy myself that much in a long time. I finally… well Mark, I felt… free. You've met my brother and my father is worse than he is. I never expected… to be able to be so… comfortable with a man. I… there's just something so different about you, Mark. You're not like any of the men I've ever met before… and I love that about you. You're so… kind. And… gentle… and…"

When Lucas didn't hear anything else, he carefully half opened his eyes to see his son kissing Joanna. A smug smile crossed the rancher's face as closed his eyes again, looking forward to the teasing that would ensue in the days to come.

**20MC20**

Wednesday morning, Doc Burrage released Lucas with strict instructions to go home and take it easy for a few days. Mark tied BlueBoy to the back of the buckboard and drove Lucas home as soon as Micah was able to take over the office. Lucas noticed Mark was particularly quiet on the way home, but didn't say much about it considering everything that had happened. When they arrived at the ranch, Lucas started helping Mark with the team, but didn't get very far.

"Pa, Doc told you to take it easy. I've unharnessed the team a hundred times before, I can do it now. You need to go rest. I'll be in to start lunch after I take care of the chores."

"I'm not tired. Mark-"

"If the situation were reversed, would you want me helping with the team?" Mark asked, using Lucas's own words against him.

"You can't keep me cooped up inside forever, you know."

"I know, that's why I'm going to do it for as long as I can. Now will you please go inside and rest for a little bit?"

"Alright…" Lucas sighed as he turned around to walk inside.

Satisfied, Mark turned back to his task and took care of the horses before working on the morning chores around the barn and yard. When Mark walked inside, he smiled to himself when he saw Lucas already asleep in his chair.

Mark set to making lunch and before long was setting the table. Accidentally dropping a cup, Mark cringed as the tin clanked on the floor and looked up to see Lucas starting to rouse.

"Not tired, huh?" Mark asked with a smile as he bent down to pick up the cup.

"You don't have to be tired to fall asleep," Lucas replied as he walked to the table. "Speaking of being asleep… you remember when Joanna visited Monday afternoon?"

Mark looked up at Lucas as he dropped the cup again. He bent down to pick it up before walking to the sink.

"Um, yeah, I remember telling you she dropped by…"

"Was that the first time?" Lucas asked with a gleam in his eye.

"The… first time she dropped by?" Mark innocently asked as he moved to take lunch off the stove.

"I was half awake when you came in and by the end of your conversation, well… I didn't want to interrupt…" Lucas answered, a devilish grin spreading across his face.

"So what if… if that was the first time? Or it couldn't have been. A man's gotta right to kiss a beautiful woman… well, when a… she wants… to be kissed…" Mark knew it was just him and his Pa, but he couldn't stop the reddening of his cheeks.

"So, you're not so against all that… "gross stuff" your Ma and I used to do anymore?"

Relaxing some, Mark shrugged his shoulders as he dropped into a chair across from Lucas.

"Well… Pa… I mean… it just felt so… natural. It… it was like something was drawing me to her and I couldn't help my self. I mean… I guess I could've helped myself, but I didn't want to help myself…" Mark suddenly realized where this conversation could be going and quickly raised his hands as he looked up at Lucas. "Don't worry, I'll help myself… I mean, I'll… I'll be a gentleman until we're married. I mean I'll still be a gentleman after we're married, but… but Pa, you know what I mean…"

Lucas laughed as he shook his head and sat down.

"Yes, Son, I know what you mean and I wouldn't expect any less of you. How did Sunday night go?"

"Well, Pa… it… it just went. We understood each other and we were able to communicate in a way that… we didn't even have to say what we were thinking. Sometimes we just knew what the other person meant. Pa, I never met a woman who was so passionate and understanding about politics, either. We had talked about politics some before, but Sunday night… her compassion and ideals, her morals came shining through like I've never seen them. She has such a heart for people, all people. She doesn't judge people because of where they're from or the color of their skin… she judges people for who they are, and the character they have. She told me about some of her upbringing, too… and it wasn't easy. Her father didn't treat her or her mother very well while he was alive and… things were always a struggle for them, afterward. But even after all of that, somehow, someway… she turned into this… this wonderful woman that is always so… happy, and… gracious, and… hopeful. And Pa, she… she makes me feel so alive inside."

"It sounds like the two of you will be very happy together, Son."

"I know we will be, Pa."

Over the course of lunch, Lucas slowly got Mark away from the subject of Joanna and managed to talk a little bit about things in town and things around the ranch that needed to get done. After lunch, Mark said he was going to ride the range for a little while.

"What time do you have to leave for town tonight?" Lucas asked.

"Micah gave me the night off since it's your first evening home. He knew I wouldn't be able to concentrate with you out here by yourself."

"Mark…"

"Oh, don't worry, Pa, I know you wouldn't try to over do it if I was gone or anything like that," Mark teased. "I just needed a night to put myself at ease."

"Tomorrow night," Lucas stated as he pointed a finger at his son, "You are going to stand shift. Your life can't came to a stop because I had a trip to Doc's."

"Of course not. What would make you think something like that?" Mark quipped with a gleam in his eye as he picked up his rifle and headed for the front door. "I love you, Pa."

"I love you too, Son. And keep an eye out for wolves," Lucas reminded. "I have a right to worry, too."

"I'll see you in a few hours."

Mark saddled BlueBoy and rode to one of the farther grazing pastures to check on some of the cattle. As Mark worked, his mind wandered to the secret he was keeping from his Pa. Mark understood that orders were orders… but he never felt right when he wasn't able to be open and honest with his Pa about everything. There would inevitably be questions that Mark wouldn't be able to answer until after Friday night, and he didn't know how he was going to avoid those.

After working for several hours, Mark started back towards the homestead. Not far from the main road into town, Mark saw Billy Davis riding up. He waved to his friend and went to meet him.

"Howdy, Billy. What brings you out here?"

"I was in town earlier and a man there asked me to deliver a note to you. Said his name was Tom… Tom Benton. He a friend of yours?"

"More a friend of my Pa's, but I know him," Mark answered as he took the note from Billy. "Thanks for riding out. Hey, you ever smooth things over with Sarah's parents?"

"Mrs. Fuller got Mr. Fuller to calm down and Sarah sweet talked her father into allowing me to come calling again. You're lucky Joanna doesn't have any family you have to deal with."

"Well I have met her brother," Mark commented as he subconsciously rubbed his jaw. "He wasn't… the friendliest person…"

"Her brother?" Billy asked in confusion. "Sarah told me that Joanna told her that she didn't have any family."

"Well, either she misunderstood or… well, it's possible Joanna doesn't really consider her brother family. They don't seem to get along too well and he's not the type of person you would necessarily want to have to introduce as a blood relation."

"I can understand. I won't say anything to Sarah, either. Say, are you working Friday night? Maybe I can swing by the office and play you a game of checkers."

"Sounds-" Mark stopped, realizing he couldn't have Billy hanging around the office Friday night. "…How about tomorrow night, would that work? Friday nights are usually full of fights needing to be broken up over at Sweeney's."

"I've gotta help Pa bring in the rest of the crop tomorrow night. Saturday?"

"I'll be working then, sounds good."

"I better be going. I'll see you later, Mark."

"See ya, Billy."

As Billy rode towards his place, Mark opened the note from Benton.

'_Mark,_

_Meet us at the office at midnight._

_Changes of plan need to be discussed._

_-Tom_'

"Great," Mark mumbled as he folded the note again and put it in his pocket. "Now I'm sneaking out of the house…"

Mark sighed and kicked BlueBoy, wishing this didn't have to be his problem.

After taking care of his horse, Mark went inside to find Lucas at the stove, cooking supper. He stepped onto the back porch and washed up before starting to set the table.

"Well this is a surprise," Lucas laughed as he turned from the stove.

Mark almost didn't hear his Pa, but caught what Lucas had said at the last second.

"…What's a surprise?"

"I figured you'd be all over me for cooking dinner."

"Oh," Mark replied as he continued to set the table. Then, he realized what his Pa was doing. "Then just why are you cooking dinner? You should be…" Mark stopped and looked at Lucas. "Nothing I'm going to say is going to make a difference, is it?"

"Not really," Lucas answered as he turned back to the stove. He stirred the vegetables some more before turning back to his son. "Mark, is something the matter?"

'_Well that took him no time to figure out,_" Mark though to himself. "No, Pa. Why?"

"Because you don't seem yourself and I can usually tell when something's bothering you. You've been a little off all day. You want to talk about it?"

"It's nothing, Pa, really."

Lucas looked at his son for several moments before turning back to the stove.

"If you say so."

After dinner, Mark did the dishes and then the evening chores before joining his Pa in the front room and grabbing a book to read. A while had passed when Lucas looked up from his Bible and curiously looked at his son.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it, Mark?"

"Why do you think there's something we need to talk about?"

"Because you haven't turned a page in fifteen minutes."

"I guess I'm just tired and having trouble concentrating."

"Just tired?" Lucas pressed.

Mark nodded before closing the book and yawning.

"I'm going to head to bed, Pa. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight."

Lucas watched his son leave the room and curiously stared after him. After a few minutes, Lucas decided it just had to be everything that had happened in the last few weeks, including his heart attack. The rancher read for a while longer before turning down the lamps and following Mark to the bedroom.

Lucas hadn't been asleep for long when he heard the front door being closed. He looked across the room to see Mark still in his bunk and grabbed his rifle before carefully making his way into the front room to find no one there. Lucas walked to the window and was confused to see Mark walking to the barn. Walking back to the bedroom, Lucas pulled his son's covers back to find that Mark had stuffed pillows and blankets in his bunk. Lucas returned to the front room and watched from the window for several minutes before he saw Mark riding BlueBoy towards town.

Confused, Lucas slowly sat down in his chair.

'_Why won't he talk to me_?' Lucas asked himself.

As the minutes ticked by, Lucas worriedly waited for his son to return. He opened his Bible and read several passages, occasionally looking up at the window, hoping to see Mark returning.

Almost three hours after Mark had left, Lucas saw his son riding back into the yard. Blowing out the lantern, Lucas returned to the bedroom and got back in bed. After hearing his son return to the bedroom, Lucas was able to fall back asleep for a few more hours.

Waking before Mark, Lucas got up and dressed before he started to fix breakfast, trying to decide how he was going to handle this situation. Mark was grown and could take care of himself, but what trouble had he gotten into that had brought him to sneaking out like he was thirteen years old again?

"Pa, you shouldn't be up," Mark interrupted Lucas's thoughts.

Before he could come up with another reply, Lucas answered, "And you shouldn't feel the need to sneak around behind my back." Lucas took the oatmeal off the stove and turned towards his son, crossing his arms. "Mark, are you in some kind of trouble?"

Confusion crossed Mark's face before he realized he shouldn't have tried sneaking out in the first place. A look of guilt replaced the confusion before Mark dropped his eyes to the ground.

"I'm sorry, Pa, I should've just told you I had to go out."

"At eleven o'clock at night? Mark, just where did you have to be? You were out until almost two this morning, and Son, I was worried."

"Pa, I…" Mark struggled to come up with an explanation.

"Mark, this isn't like you. We've always been truthful with each other. What did you have to try to cover up by stuffing pillows under your blankets?"

"Pa, I'm sorry, but I… I can't tell you. I know this looks bad, and I guess I should've tried to come up with a way to explain this before this happened. I trust you, Pa. I want to tell you this. If it were up to me, I would tell you. But I can't."

"Son, Abby Hornsby _can't_ hear. There's a big difference between _can't_ and _won't_. And you know the difference."

"I do, Pa," Mark answered, becoming a little upset. "And I can't tell you right now. Just give me a few days and I can explain everything. Please, I need you to trust me."

"Son… it's not that I don't trust you. But if you're in trouble…"

"I'm not, Pa, honest. As long as I don't tell anyone what last night was about."

"Is someone threatening you?"

"It's not that kind of trouble, Pa. Please, Pa, if I told you, the least of my worries would be losing my job."

"Losing your-" Lucas stopped when he remembered hearing that from someone else recently. "Does this have to do with Tom? Are you working with him?"

Mark slowly nodded, hoping that would suffice.

"…Alright, Mark." Lucas sighed and looked towards the door before looking back at Mark. "On one hand, I at least now you're working with Tom. On the other hand…"

"You're worried because you know I"m working with Tom," Mark finished with a small gleam in his eye. "Don't worry, Pa. everything will be alright. I just need a few days."

"Just a few days?"

"When you come into town Saturday morning so we can pick up supplies, I'll tell you all about it." Mark looked into Lucas's eyes and could still see the hesitation. "Hey, at least I'm not leaving the territory for two months like somebody else I know."

"Fair enough. I'm sorry for getting upset, Mark, but when I found out you were trying to sneak around…"

"I know, deception never looks good. I just couldn't figure a way to tell you."

"Well thanks for telling me what you did. You hungry?"

Mark nodded as his stomach let out a large growl.

**21MC21**

That evening, Mark went to town to stand his shift. The streets were quiet as Mark made his rounds, and he was thankfully no one came knocking on the office door after he had fallen asleep. Mark was fixing the coffee Friday morning when he turned at the sound of the door swinging open.

"Morning, Mark," Micah greeted as he entered the office. "Quiet night?"

"Thankfully," Mark answered as he handed Micah a cup of coffee. "Just so you know, Pa knows something is up and that I'm working with Tom, but he doesn't know what's going on. I was going to tell you last night, but you seemed a little preoccupied with Mrs. Maguire."

"He catch you sneaking out Wednesday night?" Micah asked with a chuckle.

"Yep. He wasn't too happy with me at first, but I think he understands now."

"Well that's good. One more night and this will all be over."

"Thank goodness for that." Mark grabbed his hat and rifle before heading towards the door. "Well, I better be going. I got some chores to do before I come back this afternoon to help out with everything."

"Tell your Pa I said hello."

"I'll be sure to, Micah."

Mark left the office and was almost to the livery when he heard someone yelling for him.

"Deputy McCain! Deputy McCain!"

Mark put his hands on Jeffery's shoulders as the boy came running up to him.

"Jeffery, what's wrong?"

"It's Miss Pierce, a man came-" Jeffery took a big gulp of air before continuing, "He forced his way in, and took Miss Pierce."

"Joanna?" Mark worriedly asked before the boy nodded. "Where's Mr. Griswold?"

"He didn't want to leave everyone at school- he sent me to get you."

"Run back to school, I'm going to get my horse."

Jeffery nodded and started back to the schoolhouse as Mark went inside the livery and quickly saddled BlueBoy before riding the short distance to the schoolhouse. When he arrived, Stephan was waiting for him on the steps outside of the school.

"What did he look like, which way did they go?"

"Almost as tall as your father, light brown hair… wore all black. They rode east out of town. Mark, if I didn't know any better, I'd say he's one of the men who robbed the bank."

"Robbed the bank? But the two I saw didn't have brown hair…" Mark stopped, remembering there were three outlaws involved in the robbery. Then, Mark realized something else. "You said he was almost as tall as Pa… did he have a scar on his left cheek?"

"I don't know, why?"

"Never mind."

Mark turned BlueBoy around and sent him into a gallop, following Stephan's directions. A little ways from town, Mark started looking for a trail. He eventually found tracks that left the main road. The thickness of the tracks indicated that there was a lot of weight on the horse, probably two people; most likely Joanna and her brother. Mark, however, couldn't understand why Connor would come to town and abduct his own sister. It didn't make any sense. What also didn't make any sense was that if Stephan was right and Connor did rob the bank, why would Connor come back to North Fork twice?

Mark continued following the tracks, frustrated at how difficult it was becoming to not lose the trail. What became even more apparent and frustrating to Mark was that they seemed to be going in large circles, like he was being led on a wild goose chase, like… like he was being lured into a trap. Mark kept a steady eye on his surroundings and frequently checked behind him. He continued wandering through the New Mexico land until the trail finally led up to the hills. Unable to track them from BlueBoy any longer, Mark dismounted and led his horse through the rocks and rugged terrain, trying to keep sight of the disappearing trail.

Finally having lost the trail, Mark resorted to aimlessly searching the extensive hills that were lined with boulders and canyons and everything else that was a tracker's nightmare. It was noon when Mark realized he had come out with no food or water, and was grateful for the fall breeze that compensated for the hot sun. Taking a few minutes to let himself and BlueBoy rest, Mark sat down by a boulder and removed his hat before wiping his face with a handkerchief. As Mark was putting his hat back on top of his head, he heard the unmistakeable sound of a gun being cocked behind him.

"It certainly took you long enough to get out here," A voice declared from behind him.

Mark started to turn around, but stopped when he felt a gun being pushed into his back.

"Not quite so fast. Drop the rifle, take three steps forward, and raise your hands. Then you can turn around."

Mark did so and wasn't surprised to see Connor Pierce in front of him. What worried him was that Joanna wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"What'd you do with her? Where is she?"

"I told you, my sister isn't any of your business, and we're not in "your town" anymore, mister."

"She's your sister, why are you doing this?!" Mark demanded.

"We have some… family affairs to attend to. Deputy, I suggest you stop trying to meddle with my family and…" A grin crossed the man's face as he continued, "Worry about your own."

"Worry about-" Mark stopped as anger flashed in his eyes. "If you laid one hand on my Pa-" Mark took a step forward, but stopped as the man shot the ground in front of him.

"Now I didn't say I did anything to your Pa. …But I didn't say I didn't so anything to him, either. So I suggest you go take care of your family, and I'll take care of mine."

"I want to see her," Mark demanded.

"I want to see her," he mocked. "How does it feel to want?"

"Pierce, I swear, if you do anything to either one of them…" Mark stalled, torn between trying to find Joanna and making sure his Pa was alright.

"McCain, she's my sister. I won't do anything to her. I can't promise as much about your Pa. Now you get on that horse, ride home, and check on your Pa like a good son."

With no other option, Mark slowly walked towards BlueBoy, never taking his eyes off Connor. As far as he could, Mark backed BlueBoy up before turning the horse around and backtracking as fast as he could, waiting for Pierce to shoot him in the back.

Mark made it out of the hills and raced for home, confused and worried thoughts swirling in his brain. Pierce could be bluffing, he had to be bluffing. Why would Connor drag his Pa into his? What did his Pa have to do anything? Why was the man so eager to get his sister out of North Fork, and why had he led him on such a wild goose chase?

It took an agonizing two hours to ride home, and Mark worried every minute of those two hours. He rode into the yard, calling for his Pa and jumped off BlueBoy before the horse could come to a stop. Mark ran inside to see Lucas crumpled on the floor.

"PA?!" Mark started towards Lucas, only to have someone restrain him from behind.

Mark fought and struggled against the man until he heard a gun being cocked and looked to see another man, the man who had attacked him in the saloon, aiming a revolver at Lucas.

The man restraining Mark slowly let him go and came into the deputy's line of vision. Mark instantly recognized him as the other man from the saloon. Mark was convinced he was looking at the two men that had shot him that night after the bank robbery.

"What do you want?" Mark demanded as he looked between the two.

His attention was temporarily diverted when he heard his Pa starting to stir and mumble, "Don't… Mark…"

The man without the gun took a step towards Lucas and kicked him in the ribs as he spoke, "It's simply enough. We want to know when the president is supposed to arrive, and what route he's taking to town."

"What makes you think we know?" Mark asked.

"Don't play games with us, deputy," the man answered. "We'd really hate to shoot up another McCain."

Mark's eyes narrowed as he assessed the two men in front of him. The man next to Lucas pulled the rancher up off the ground and punched him, sending Lucas into the bedroom door. Mark started forward, but the man beside Mark took the butt of his gun to Mark's head, hitting him hard enough to send Mark to the ground. The second man again picked Lucas up and sent a punch to his midsection as Lucas leaned heavily against the door frame. Mark could see these men had already been here for quite some time; vibrant bruises lined his Pa's face.

"Your Pa here claims he don't know. Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. But we know you have to, because you've been meeting with the Marshal and that secret service agent. I'm giving you one more chance before I send a bullet into your Pa's skull."

Lucas's eyes half opened and saw how torn Mark was. He saw how close his son was to complying and pleaded with Mark, "Son, don't do it. Don't you dare-"

Mark cringed as he started to stand and the man beside his Pa punched Lucas across the face one last time, sending him unconscious. The man with a gun stepped closer to Lucas and held the revolver to the rancher's temple.

"And as soon as we're through with him, don't forget we's got that pretty little school teacher, too."

Mark's eyes stayed locked onto the gun pointed at his father's head. He couldn't be the reason the President of the United States died… but he couldn't be the reason his Pa died, either. He would never be able to forgive himself.

Ever so slowly, Mark looked to the man.

"…In three hours the stage will be ten miles east of town... coming down a back road from Willow Springs. They'll be dead smack in the middle of a canyon."

The man returned his gun to his holster as a smug smile crossed his face.

"Just know that if you're pulling one on us and there's a trap waiting, that school teacher's gonna be the first one to get a bullet. Kelly, get some rope."

"Why don't we just kill them?"

"Because, if the deputy was stupid enough to lie, we need him alive to tell us the truth. After we kill the teacher."

"I told you-" Mark took a step forward, but received a punch to his stomach.

Mark doubled over and suddenly felt sharp pain across the back of his head, blacking out before he hit the ground.

When Mark woke, he realized he was tied down to something. Mark then realized his Pa was underneath him, face down and their arms were bound together. He remember being tied up like this once before, and having worked for a long time without any success of getting free. Only thing was, Mark was a lot smaller back then and he couldn't imagine what his Pa's ribs felt like now.

Feeling Mark tense, Lucas realized his son was awake.

"Mark, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. How do you feel?"

"I've been better. Mark… please don't tell me you told them…"

Mark started to answer, but saw a shadow crossing the window curtains and hesitated.

"Mark!" Lucas yelled.

"What did you expect me to do?!" Mark yelled back.

"Refuse to say anything, tell them a lie, I don't know! But I certainly didn't think I raised a son that would let the president be assassinated!"

"It was either that or let them kill you!"

"Mark McCain-"

"Pa, they were going to shoot you, and they have Joanna! I couldn't risk it!"

"Mark, this is the President of the United States! You should've been able to-"

"To what? Come up with something else?!" Mark demanded. "I'm sorry if I come home after chasing after a mad man who abducted the woman I just happen to be in love with, see someone holding a gun to your head, and can't think straight enough to think of another way out! I-" Mark stopped, watching the shadow disappear and hearing someone running just as Lucas interrupted him.

"Mark, I know you better than this! You don't shy away from something because you're afraid! I thought I taught you growing up that sometimes we have to make sacrifices! I told you not to do it, I didn't care if they killed me, and I'm sure we could have gotten to Joanna in time if you would have just-"

"I'm sorry for yelling, Pa," Mark interrupted in a much quieter, calmer tone.

"You're sorry for yelling?! Mark, don't you think there's some bigger issues at hand?!"

"No, because you do know me better than this and I didn't tell them the truth. Well, not the whole truth, anyway."

"Mark what are you talking about?" Lucas asked, completely confused.

"Someone was waiting outside to make sure I didn't say something differently once we woke up, they're gone now. There's a knife on the counter, work with me to stand up."

As they worked to stand, Lucas asked Mark to start explaining.

"There's a decoy going to the spot I sent them. I figured… if I sent them there, we'd have enough time to work ourselves free… and you to get help before the stage arrived. Only problem is, I wasn't planning on getting knocked out."

They reached the counter and Mark struggled to get a good grip on the knife as Lucas continued to ask questions.

"So what's your plan now… and what do you mean enough time for ME to get help? What about you?"

"Like I told you, they've got Joanna, I can't take the time to ride into town first." Mark was finally able to twerk his arm enough so he could start cutting the ropes. "And you just had a heart attack a week ago. You can't go riding ten miles out of town."

"You're not going out there alone," Lucas firmly replied.

"Pa, I've got to. There's no other choice."

"Mark-"

"Pa, I love her. You'd do the same for Ma. But I also am going to need back up, which is why I need you to ride to town and tell Micah and Tom I'm headed for the decoy route." The blade cut through the final rope, allowing father and son to step away from each other and turn around. "Please, Pa."

Lucas put a hand on his son's shoulder and nodded. "Alright, Mark."

As Lucas slapped his son's shoulder, Mark turned and ran to the bedroom closet where he retrieved his old .22 rifle. He ran outside and jumped on BlueBoy, heading straight for the canyon.

It was a long, hard ride and Mark could feel his horse losing strength.

"Come on, BlueBoy," Mark urged, "Just a little longer."

Mark slowed BlueBoy as they came up to the entrance of the canyon and dismounted. Quietly making his way up and down the side of canyon wall, Mark soon saw the criminals in the distance and was surprised to see that the outlaws had stuck to the inside of the canyon floor instead of positioning themselves on the ridges. Mark looked around for Connor and Joanna, but only saw the brother hiding behind one of the boulders. As Mark tried to come up with a plan, he heard the stage coach approaching. Throwing caution out the window, Mark started running to get within range of the outlaws. Just when Mark reached the point where he could accurately fire, several shots rang out and Mark saw the stagecoach driver and the man riding shotgun fall from their seats. Mark shouldered his rifle and fired at Pierce before the man could fire another shot at the men Mark hoped were still alive. Having drawn the fire of the other two outlaws, Mark dove for cover behind a boulder and started returning fire, making each shot count. Just as the last of the three men fell, a shot rang out behind Mark, hitting him in the shoulder.

Before he could think to do any differently, Mark turned around and fired.

**22MC22**

Lucas raced Razor to town, not allowing his horse to stop before he jumped down and ran into Micah's office, not realizing several other men were standing there.

"Lucas-Boy, what are you-"

"Micah, I don't have time, Mark needs help. He's out where the decoy stage was headed, and he's up against men that have Joanna!"

"How'd she get-" Tom started to ask, but was interrupted.

"I don't know, but Mark's out there by himself!"

Several men ran from the office and were soon riding from town. The whole way there, Lucas prayed for Mark to be alright. He kicked himself for letting Mark go by himself, but he also knew it was what his son had asked him to do. They arrived at the entrance to the canyon to find BlueBoy ground tied and no sign of Mark.

They rode through the canyon, which was much too quiet for anyone's liking. As they came over a rise, they caught sight of the still stage coach, then the bodies scattered across the ground. Lucas's eyes finally found a still Mark, Joanna in his arms.

Jumping down from Razor, Lucas ran to his son and pulled him out from underneath the school teacher as Benton checked for Joanna's pulse.

"…She's dead," Tom mournfully stated. "…Mark…?"

"He's alive," Lucas breathed as he felt a pulse and saw the slight rise of his son's chest. "Thank God he's alive."

Feeling the moisture on his son's back, Lucas pulled his hand out to see it covered with blood.

"Tom, he's shot!" Lucas exclaimed as he saw the bullet wound. "We have to get him to town!"

"Help me carry him, we'll use the team."

Lucas got into the stage coach and waited for Tom to hand Mark up to him. As the two men worked, they were oblivious to the other men beginning to take care of the bodies.

As Tom got in the driver's seat and started to drive the stage towards town, Lucas unbuttoned his shirt and used it to try to stop the blood that continued to come from his son's shoulder. Lucas held Mark tight the whole way into town, praying he wouldn't have to burry his son.

Benton pulled the team to a stop in front of the clinic and jumped down from the driver's seat before helping Lucas carry Mark out of the stage and into the clinic. Doc opened the door and allowed the men to carry the deputy into the back room. When they explained he was shot in the back of his shoulder, Burrage asked the men to turn Mark on his stomach so he could get the bullet out. Seeing the profuse bleeding, Doc didn't take time to worry about making sure Mark was unconscious and started on the wound right away. Lucas and Tom just stood there, waiting and watching as the doctor worked to save the young man's life. What seemed to Lucas to be an eternity was only fifteen minutes before Doc had retracted the bullet, stopped the bleeding, and was beginning to close up the wound. The worried father anxiously waited for the physician to finish before asking the question that had been plaguing him for hours.

"Will he be alright?"

"I think so, Luke."

"You think so?!" Tom boomed, almost as worried as Lucas.

"I think so," the doctor repeated. "Time will tell. He lost a lot of blood, but it wasn't as deep or serious as the last time. Now Lucas, I know you're worried, but sitting here isn't going to help matters. It'll be a while yet before he comes around. And I don't want your heart-"

"My heart's fine!"

"I think the two of you need to go over to Sweeney's. Lucas, you need to cool down before your son wakes."

"Come on, Luke," Benton said as he relaxed some and slapped his friend's shoulder. "I'll buy you a drink."

Benton pulled Lucas from the office and led him to the saloon where they sat down at a corner table. Tom went to the bar and ordered them two beers, and upon returning to the table, he followed Lucas's line of vision out the window and down the street.

"He'll be fine, Lucas," Tom tried to assure. "Mark's like you. He's strong."

"Tom…" Lucas sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. "Why does the man I raised my son to be have to end up getting shot every time I turn around? What did I do wrong?"

"Lucas, you know as well as I do that you didn't do anything wrong. You raised your son right and that was why he was out there today. That's why he got shot. You can't blame yourself for this one, Lucas. If you're going to blame anyone, blame me. I'm the one that dragged him into this mess…" The guilt could be heard in the man's voice.

"No, Tom," Lucas stated as he shook his head. "This isn't your fault, either. Mark was… he was doing his job." Lucas bit his lip and fought the tears as he continued, "And that… that I'm proud of. I'll always be proud of. But as a parent… I can't help but wonder if I wasn't doing my job. If I should've gone with him instead of coming to town… if I…" Lucas stopped and shook his head as a tear rolled down his cheek, followed by a broken chuckle. "You know, when Mark was a boy, he often felt bad when he was around and something happened, because he knew there were certain things I wouldn't try because he was present. I tried again and again to assure him that nothing was ever his fault, but now I understand how he felt. They used me against him, Tom. And I could see the fear and the turmoil in Mark's eyes that I had felt so many times before. He couldn't act as he might have wanted, because I was there. And I… I was a hindrance to him, Tom. If I hadn't been there…"

"If you hadn't been there, Mark might have done something stupid and gotten himself killed. And you weren't a hindrance to him, Lucas. Mark has chosen to love and respect you and that was his doing. I'm not saying I blame him for wanting to protect you, I'm just saying that was his choice, and not yours, and you can't blame yourself. Luke, we all have an Achilles' heel. They found Mark's in you and Joanna. If it hadn't been the two of you, it would have been someone else. But don't sit here and beat yourself up over the fact that you have a son that loves you and I'm sure would take a bullet for you. Lucas, I'd give anything for the relationship you and Mark have. Don't destroy that by getting so bogged down in your fears that you try to shut your son out."

Lucas slowly nodded, his throat too tight to voice a reply.

The men continued to wait, Benton slowly sipping on his beer as Lucas's mug sat untouched in front of him. A long while had passed when Benton saw the group of men returning from the posse.

"Luke, I'm sorry, but I got to help take care of this mess…"

"I forgot all about that… is… "he" still coming?"

"No, we caught wind that someone was onto our plans and sent him another way, still keeping a decoy stage in hopes of catching the conspirators. You should be proud of your son, Lucas, he's done his the United States and her territories a great service."

**23MC23**

Mark woke, confused by his surroundings. As he looked around the room and saw Lucas sitting in the chair, he remembered what had happened. He remembered too much of what had happened.

Using his good arm, Mark threw the covers off himself and painfully got out of bed. Seeing a clean shirt waiting for him on the empty chair in the room, Mark put his left arm through the sleeve and draped the other half of the shirt over his slinged shoulder. Quietly, Mark slipped from the room and then out of the back door of the clinic.

As Mark stepped outside, he realized it was too early for anyone else to be up and was grateful for it. Mark walked to the hotel and slipped behind the desk, retrieving a key to a hotel room. He quietly went upstairs and down the hall, and stopped in front of what used to be Miss Pierce's room. Mark slowly put the key inside the lock and opened the door; fighting the tears that were threatening to fall down his face.

A wave of emotion overcame Mark as he stepped inside the room. With tears now streaming down his face, Mark began his search until finally finding what he was looking for in the bottom drawer of the dresser. Mark left the room and locked the door behind him before returning the key to its place.

As the sun was just beginning to rise above North Fork, Lucas was alarmed to find his son missing. Grabbing his rifle and running to the waiting room where Doc had fallen asleep at his desk, the rancher urgently tried to rouse the doctor.

"Lucas, what's the matter? Is it Mark?"

"It's Mark, but he's missing!"

"Missing?" Doc asked incredulously as he walked to the room Mark was supposed to be in. "Where could he have gone? Why would he leave?"

"I don't know, but he's gone!"

"Maybe he went over to the office, let's check with Micah."

The two men left the clinic and ran to the marshal's office, Lucas far ahead of the doctor. He entered to find Micah and Tom sitting at the desk, talking.

"Have either of you seen Mark?" Lucas worriedly asked.

"Mark?" Micah questioned. "Mark's missing?"

"He wasn't in Doc's office this morning!"

"We'll help you look for him, Lucas." Tom offered as he and Micah stood.

The four men left the office and spread out to start their search for Mark, agreeing to meet back at the office in half an hour. Lucas looked everywhere he could think of; the hotel, the livery, the general store, the church… but Mark was no where to be seen. As he entered Micah's office again, Lucas could hear Doc asking, "If someone else was involved with the conspiracy, could they have taken Mark from town?"

"Tom?" Lucas worriedly asked.

"…I don't think so. If that were the case… it would be more likely that they would have just killed Mark at the office. He might have left town of his own accord, but…"

"BlueBoy's still at the livery," Micah and Lucas both informed as they shook their heads.

"Well where-" Benton stopped as an idea came to him. "Did anyone check the school teacher's room?"

Lucas was the first one out of the office followed by the three other men.

"Any sign of him?" Lou asked as Lucas entered the hotel.

"No, but do you have a key to Joanna's room?"

"Yes… I do…" Lou replied as she retrieved the key and handed it to Lucas. "Cowboy, he's gotta be hurtin' somethin' fierce."

"I know, Lou. I know…"

Lucas ran up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. He entered the hotel room, his heart sinking when he realized the room was empty.

"Micah, I don't understand," Lucas said as he turned towards his friend. "Where could he be? Where did he go?"

"He'll turn up, Lucas-Boy. Maybe you should check back at Doc's."

Lucas and Doc Burrage returned to the clinic to find it still empty. Not knowing what else to do, Lucas told Doc he was going to ride around some and look for Mark. As Lucas started to enter the livery, he bumped into Nils who was just coming out.

"Lucas, I'm glad you're here. When you dropped by earlier I hadn't seen Mark, but I was just going up to the hayloft to feed the horses and I saw him up there. He's asleep, and… I couldn't disturb him. I think… I think he's gonna need you."

"Thanks, Nils."

Lucas walked inside as Nils walked away from the building to give father and son the privacy he knew they would need.

Lucas climbed the ladder to the hayloft. As he caught sight of his son, Lucas's heart broke. Tears still fell from Mark's closed eyes and landed on what Lucas knew had to be Joanna's diary. Lucas walked to his son and knelt down beside Mark as he gently shook Mark's shoulder.

"Mark…?" Lucas called.

Mark opened his eyes and closed the book he held in his hand before wiping away the tears from his face. He started to get up, but Lucas gently pushed him back down.

"it's alright, Mark, we can talk."

Mark closed his eyes and swallowed as he shook his head. "I don't want to talk."

"Son, I know how it feels. You need to talk."

A cold, angry look flashed in Mark's eyes, confusing Lucas.

"Mark-"

"I don't need to talk, Pa! Leave me alone!"

"Son, let me help you," Lucas tried to encourage.

"You can't fix this, Pa! No one can! Just leave me alone!"

Mark stood and walked passed his father before struggling down the ladder. Lucas quickly followed and tried to stop Mark as he tried saddle BlueBoy with just one good arm.

"Leave me alone!" Mark yelled again.

"Mark, you need to go back to Doc's and let him look at your shoulder," Lucas firmly stated as he took the saddle from his son.

"I'm fine!" Mark tore past Lucas and out the back door of the livery.

Setting the saddle down, Lucas ran after his son, quickly catching up with Mark. Lucas grabbed his son's good shoulder and turned him around, Mark's shirt barely hanging from his shoulder.

"Mark! You need to see Doc, you opened your wound," Lucas said, having seen the blood on his son's bandage.

"It'll heal!"

"Mark you are going to Doc's whether you like it or not. If you insist on acting like a child, I will carry you over there like a child."

The defiance in Mark's eyes slowly diminished as he realized how much of his anger he was taking out on his Pa.

"I'm sorry, Pa," Mark quietly spoke.

Lucas draped Mark's shirt back over his injured shoulder and walked back to the clinic with Mark, worriedly looking his son over.

"Lucas, you found him," Doc said with relief as the two men entered the office.

"He opened his wound, Doc."

"Mark, come back to the room and I'll fix it up for you."

Mark complied without saying a word and Lucas watched as the Doctor un-bandaged Mark's shoulder. He threaded a needle and put more stitches in before wrapping Mark's shoulder again.

"How does that feel?"

"Fine."

"I'll get you something for the pain."

"I don't need it, I'm fine."

"Now, Mark, I've been shot in the shoulder before, and I know you're going to need it."

"I want to feel the pain."

Lucas worriedly looked to the doctor who held the same expression on his face.

"…Mark, why don't you try to get some rest? I'm sure you'll feel better after you've gotten some sleep."

"I've slept long enough."

"Mark-"

"Doc, could you give us a few minutes, please?" Lucas asked.

"Sure, Luke. I'm right outside if you need me."

As the door shut behind the doctor, Lucas again looked at his son son in concern.

"Mark, I know it hurts. But you just can't block everyone out. And you can't put yourself through this misery. I know you don't want to talk to it right now, but-"

"Pa?"

Lucas could hear the agitation in his son's voice and waited for Mark to go on.

"You've said yourself that there are times when a man needs to be alone. This is one of those times and I'd appreciate it if you would just leave me be."

As hard as it was, Lucas slowly nodded and walked towards the door.

"Mark, when you're ready… I'll be here for you."

Mark didn't answer, but just kept staring at the wall. Lucas let out a defeated sigh and left the room.

"Lucas?" Doc called.

"This is going to be a long few weeks…" the rancher sighed in response. "Doc, I'm going to let everyone else know he's back here."

"Alright, Luke."

Lucas left the office and stopped by the hotel to tell Lou that they had found Mark. When she asked how he was doing, Lucas just told her that he was taking it hard. Next, Lucas went to the office to tell Micah and Tom.

"Do you think he might be able to answer some questions later?" Tom asked.

"No!" Lucas then relaxed and took a seat. "I'm sorry, Tom. He's in no state to be answering questions. To say he's grief stricken would be an understatement. Please, don't push him."

"Sorry, Lucas, I shouldn't have asked. He can write a report and send it to me later, when he's ready. How long had he and the teacher known each other?"

"About two months," Lucas replied, "But I have a feeling that if I wasn't around, he might have asked her to marry him about a month ago."

"Lucas, where'd you find him?" Micah asked.

"Nils found him, up in the hay loft at the livery. He was up there asleep, but he'd been reading what I am pretty sure must have been Joanna's diary. Micah… if you could've seen the anger… the hurt in his eyes… and when we got back to Doc's… he said he didn't want any medicine for the pain. He said he needed to feel it…"

"It'll be hard for him, Lucas-Boy, but he'll make it through this. You both will." Micah slightly paused before reaching behind the desk and handing Lucas Mark's .22 rifle. "Lucas, why was he out there without his Winchester?"

"I'm not sure… he had said something about going after someone who had Joanna before he came by the house. After we broke free he ran and got his .22. I guess whoever he was chasing after made Mark give up his rifle."

After talking to his two friend for a while longer, Lucas returned to the clinic to find an exasperated Doc Burrage at his desk.

"I'm sorry, Lucas, I tried…"

"You tried? What happened?"

"I tried convincing him to stay put, but he said he couldn't. Luke, it's like he's out of his head. He said I had no right to keep him here and he'd throw me in jail if I tried to."

"Where'd he go?"

"Probably back to the livery."

"Thanks, Doc, and I'm sorry."

"It's his grief talking, Lucas, don't apologize."

Lucas hurried to the livery to find Nils saddling Mark's horse, Mark insisting he could saddle it himself.

"Mark, what are you doing?" Lucas asked.

"I can't stay here any longer, I'm going home."

"Mark, you shouldn't be riding in your con-"

"I was shot in the shoulder; my leg didn't fall off. I can ride home just fine and I don't need anybody's help. I'm going back to the ranch, away from everyone else, away from people I can hurt. And if you know what's good for you, you'll stay away from me so you don't get hurt, too."

"Mark, Son, you're not thinking rationally."

Mark took the reigns from Nils and struggled to get up in the saddle.

"Mark, you can't just run away from this."

"I can for now."

Lucas and Nils watched in shock as Mark kicked BlueBoy and left the livery. As Mark rode down the street, he urged BlueBoy faster and faster until he was out of their sight.

**24MC24**

After giving Mark a few hours, Lucas rode to the ranch. He finished taking care of Razor and went inside the house to find Mark sitting at the table, staring into the fire. Lucas walked to the table and ever so slowly sat down across from his son, still trying to find the words to say.

"Mark…"

"Pa, please," Mark whispered, still staring into the fire. "I don't want to talk about it. I'm asking you to please leave this one alone."

Lucas looked at his son for a long time, wishing he knew how to get through to him. Knowing… knowing he couldn't make Mark talk to him.

"I guess I don't really have choice right now."

Mark stood and Lucas watched as his son tried to start making dinner. With no more than a few words between them, father and son prepared the meal and ate before Mark disappeared into the bedroom.

Sleep came easily to Mark that night, even though it was fitful. …But Lucas was wide awake until the early hours of the morning, desperately worried about his son. He remembered the weeks following Margaret's death… how lost and alone he had felt. But there was a part of her in Mark that saw him through the grief. Lucas remembered his father trying to get through to him… he remembered reacting much like Mark was.

Sleep finally did come; however, when Lucas woke he found that Mark was gone. When he checked the barn, Lucas saw that some of the chores were done and BlueBoy was absent from his stall. Worried about his son and upset that Mark was overdoing it, Lucas saddled Razor and looked around the ranch for several hours before giving in and returning to the homestead. When he arrived, he found Micah dismounting.

"Micah, what brings you out here?"

"Lou was concerned when the two of you didn't show for church or the funeral today. I tried telling her it was to be expected, but she was still worried so I figured I'd swing by and check up on the two of you. How's Mark?"

"I wish I knew…" Lucas mumbled as he dismounted. "…It's not good, Micah. He won't talk to me and this morning he was gone before I was up. He even tried doing some of the barn chores and I know that can't be good for him."

"Give him time, Lucas-boy."

"I know, Micah… but… I can't stand seeing him like this. He's shutting down… there's absolutely no life in his eyes and… and I can see the pain he's in. Not just from losing Joanna, but all last night I watched him grimace in pain from the bullet wound."

"He's still refusing to take the medicine?"

"And I don't know what to do. I'm his father, I should know how to handle this…"

"Lucas, no father should have to be going through what you are. No man should have to be going through what Mark is going through. It's going to just take time. You know Mark. When he's ready, he'll talk to you. But you can't try to force it out of him."

"I know. You want to come in for something to eat?"

"Thanks, Lucas."

Micah stuck around for a while before realizing he needed to get back to town. Lucas walked him outside and after Micah mounted up, he pulled a badge from his shirt pocket and tossed it to Lucas.

"I forgot, Doc found this over at the clinic. Would you give it to Mark for me?"

"Sure thing." Lucas waved goodbye to Micah as his friend headed back to town.

The sun had set a long time before Lucas finally saw Mark coming through the front door. He looked absolutely exhausted and Lucas could see the strain in his son's face.

"Mark, where'd you go?"

"Just to ride," Mark replied with a shrug.

"…You shouldn't have worried about the chores this morning. You'll have plenty of time to do that once your shoulder is healed."

Mark didn't answer, but headed towards the bedroom.

"Mark," Lucas called, causing Mark to turn around. "Micah brought your badge back this afternoon."

Mark caught the badge and looked at it for a few moments before turning around and walking inside the bedroom.

The next several mornings repeated the events of Sunday. Mark would wake long before Lucas and try to get some of the chores done before riding out. Lucas worked on the range and in the barn until late afternoon and had supper alone. Mark would return home well after dark and go to bed with few words said between him and Lucas. By the end of the week, Lucas had just about all he could take.

Friday evening Lucas paced the front room, waiting for Mark to get home; still trying to decide what he was going to say to his son. He had ran so many conversations through his mind, anticipating Mark's reactions, trying to find a way to counter those reactions… but in the end, Lucas still wasn't sure if he would ever get through to his son.

A knock at the door interrupted Lucas's thoughts. He answered it and was soon letting Micah inside, a look on Micah's face he couldn't identify.

"Micah? What's wrong?"

"This is what's wrong," Micah said as he pulled Mark's badge from his back pocket. "When I got back to the office tonight after making the rounds, I found this with Mark's letter of resignation! I won't accept it, Lucas. He's too fine a lawman!"

"What do you want me to do Micah?" Lucas asked as he crossed his arms. "I can't even get my son to speak to me, there's nothing I can do about him taking his badge back! And right now, him quitting his job is the least of my worries! He hardly eats, he's not sleeping well, he's trying to do too much work around here, and I can't even think of the last time I saw him touch his rifle!"

"Well I-" Micah stopped as he started to realize something. "He won't touch his… oh, Lucas-boy… we should've known better. It was staring at us the whole time…"

"What was staring at us? What are you talking about, Micah?"

"Mark's been my deputy for over a year and a half now. It was bound to happen sooner or later, but Lucas, three outlaws died out there. Maybe the men driving the stage killed one, or maybe even two, but we don't know exactly what happened, and Lucas, there's no chance Mark made it through that without killing someone. You remember what it was like after you killed your first man. And yes, there was Charlie… but that was an accident. This time, Mark deliberately aimed and shot at someone, with the intention of taking their life, and… Lucas, we should've known Mark would be grieving that, too. Outlaw or not… he took a man's life."

"You're right, Micah… I should've known. I should've put the pieces together… I was just so caught up in him losing Joanna that I didn't even think about the men that died."

"Neither did I, Lucas." Micah sighed as he shook his head. "I'm sorry for barging in here and yelling at you like I did, Lucas. You and Mark just mean so much to me and I hate to see Mark like this. I can't believe he really wants to give up the badge, but I'd believe he's scared enough to do it…"

"I'm sorry for yelling, too. When the time's right, I'll talk to Mark about the badge."

"Let me know if there's anything I can do, Lucas-boy."

"I will."

Lucas saw Micah out the door before collapsing into his chair in the front room. He continued to think as the hours passed, but before long he couldn't fight exhaustion any longer and fell asleep.

Lucas woke the next morning and realized Mark still hadn't returned home. Not knowing what else to do, Lucas set to making breakfast, alone, like he had every morning that week. Finally, Lucas heard Mark coming through the front door.

"Mark, where did you go last night?"

"…I stayed overnight at the hotel."

"The hotel?" Lucas asked in confusion. "Why on earth would you stay there?"

"I knew Micah would be headed here," Mark answered as he pointed to the badge on the kitchen table. "…Can I help?"

Surprised, but glad Mark seemed to be making an effort, Lucas nodded and asked Mark to watch the eggs while he set the table.

Mark attempted to make small, quiet conversation as they made and ate breakfast. He could sense something different about his Pa, but couldn't put his finger on it… until they had finished eating.

"Mark, I know you don't want to talk about it, but-"

"Pa, please! I'm trying to adjust, why can't you just leave it alone?!"

"Mark, Micah and I were talking last night and we realized, well that there was a lot more than Joanna that you were… are dealing with. Mark, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you and I didn't realize that… that you would be needing to talk about the men that died, too."

"Pa, you don't understand!" Mark yelled as he stood. "No one can!"

"I can't understand what, Mark? Killing people? You know I've killed more men than I care to count! I don't understand losing the woman I love? Last time I checked, I lost your mother- my wife after nine years of marriage! What don't I understand?!"

"You don't understand what happened out there!"

"Then make me understand, Mark! I want to understand! Just start _somewhere_!"

"Start _somewhere_!?" Mark demanded. "Just where do you want me to start?! The fact that two good men died because I couldn't get there fast enough!? The fact that I killed three men?! That you could've died because I fell in love?! Do you want me to start with the fact that she shot me, or that I shot her?!"

Lucas stared at Mark in shock as his son turned around and ran from the house. Lucas watched through the open door as Mark tripped down the porch steps and fell to the ground. Running to his son's side, Lucas tried to help his son up.

"Just leave me alone!" Mark yelled through the tears streaming down his face. "I can't live like this any more! I can't- I can't…"

With tears falling down his own face, Lucas wrapped his arms around his son and let Mark fall back against his chest.

"I can't…" Mark sobbed again, oblivious to Lucas's presence.

Unable to voice any words, Lucas just held his son in his arms. Finally finding his voice, Lucas managed to whisper, "You can, Mark. You can make it through this. We'll find a way and we'll make it through this…"

Lucas lost all track of time as he sat in front of their home with his son in his arms. Eventually Mark quieted, and Lucas looked down to realize that exhaustion had overtaken Mark and that he had drifted off to sleep.

Picking Mark up, Lucas carried Mark into the house and set him on the couch before draping a blanket over his son. Lucas sat in his chair and watched as Mark slept.

Questions plagued him, but most of all, his heart broke for his son. Mark was right… he didn't understand. He couldn't understand. He couldn't even imagine… imagine… shooting the one he loved. He couldn't imagine keeping all that locked up inside for nearly a week, and he couldn't imagine the amount of pain and grief his son was experiencing.

"God… help me know what to do…"

**25MC25**

Mark woke, temporarily confused by his surroundings. His eyes fell on Lucas who had fallen asleep in his chair and Mark remembered what had happened… he remembered finally admitting what he had done.

Throwing the blanket off himself, Mark stood and walked out to the back porch where he slid down a post and sat, looking up at the sky. He thought through everything that had taken place. All the lies, all the deception, all the heartbreak…

Tears shamelessly fell down the deputy's face.

Mark finally heard heavy foot steps on the porch behind him. Wiping away the tears that sat on his cheeks, Mark turned towards Lucas as the tall rancher sat across from his son.

"Mark… I'm sorry I pushed. You need to talk about it, but not until you're ready. I'm done pushing."

Mark closed his eyes as another tear ran down his cheek and fell onto the porch. Taking in a deep breath, Mark opened his eyes and looked up at the sky before letting it out and turning back to Lucas.

"You were right to push, Pa. I needed to be pushed."

Lucas quietly sat, giving his son time to collect his thoughts.

"I was so ashamed of what happened… I couldn't face you… I couldn't face anyone. I wanted to talk about it… but I was too scared. I guess I was hoping you would push me enough so I could just get it all out there at once… and you did." More tears steadily fell down Mark's face as he spoke, "Pa, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten so close… I shouldn't have gotten so involved… and that could've cost you your life."

When Mark didn't go on, Lucas asked, "Mark, why don't you start from the beginning?"

"No, not the beginning," Mark said, shaking his head. "I can't start there. I have to start at the end."

"The end?" Lucas asked in confusion.

Mark nodded as he took in a deep breath, trying to organize the last of his thoughts.

"I couldn't understand why Pierce was holding his own sister hostage…" Seeing the confusion in Lucas's eyes, Mark explained, "One of the men that was involved was Joanna's brother. He had taken her from school Friday morning and I trailed after them. I found him… well, he found me, but I didn't see Joanna anywhere. I was worried, but then he brought you into the picture and said I needed to be worrying about my own family. I was honestly torn, Pa. I didn't know if he was just bluffing or if he had done something to you, but he had a gun so it made my decision to forget about Joanna for a little while somewhat easier. There wasn't anything I could do, and I couldn't be there for both of you. I got back here, and you know what happened. But I guess what you don't know is that I had already seen the two that beat you up in town last week, in the middle of a brawl at Sweeney's. They looked familiar, but I couldn't place them until the next morning. They were the two that came back and shot me when I was riding with the posse. …Anyway, the two of them and Joanna's brother, Connor Pierce, were all waiting for the stage in the canyon. I wasn't in close enough rage when I first caught sight of them and I heard the stage coming so I started running… but not fast enough. They shot the men out of their seats. I aimed and fired at Pierce. He fell. I… I killed a man."

There were several moments of silence before Lucas interjected.

"Son, you had no choice."

Mark slowly nodded before going on, "Then the other two turned and started firing at me. I dove for cover and returned fire… killing both of them. …No sooner had the last man fallen then I heard a shot behind me and felt the pain in my shoulder. I didn't think… I just acted. It was pure instinct. I turned around and I fired… and my stomach dropped when I realized I had shot Joanna. I stumbled towards her and fighting the pain I took her in my arms. Apologizing over and over again… telling her I didn't know it was her. All she said was, "I'm sorry," before her eyes rolled back into her head. I tried in vain to get her to come around, but she... she was gone. And... as I started to lose consciousness, all I could think about was how she had tried to shoot one of the men to save me… and I killed her. But… but then I woke up at Doc's. And I remembered what had happened… and questions I didn't want to think about wouldn't leave me alone. Again, I was wondering why Connor would take his own sister hostage. It made absolutely no sense. Then I wondered why Joanna was at the canyon; why she wasn't tied up somewhere. And then… and then I wondered… why did she have a gun? I didn't want to face the answers to those questions… but I knew I had to. So I left Doc's and went to the hotel and got the key to Joanna's room. I knew she kept a diary… and I knew that was where I was going to find answers. I took it up to the hayloft and read. And it wasn't just diary entries. She had letters tucked in there too. But everything I read… Pa… I've… I've never felt so betrayed… so vulnerable… so… stupid in my entire life. I couldn't believe what I was reading. There were pages and pages of letters and notes in that book about me, about you, about members of the town council. Anything and everyone related to North Fork. Some of it was from before she came to town, some of it after."

"But why?"

"Pa, Joanna… she… she was part of an organization that wants to see the government overthrown and the confederacy started again. I couldn't gather everything from what I found, but I think they had a contact somewhere in the secret service and… and they've been planning this for almost three months. They found out the president was coming to New Mexico… and they did everything they could in an attempt to assassinate him. They got as much information as they could about North Fork when they found out he was coming through here, but… they needed someone on the inside."

"…Joanna?"

Mark slowly nodded. "When the bank was robbed, they didn't care about the money. They just wanted to put Stephan out of commission. Pa I was so stupid… all she had to do was bat her eyelashes and I fell for her… hard. Even the story about being born in Oklahoma and her father… it was all a big lie. And I believed it."

"You weren't stupid, Mark. She fooled all of us. It sounds like she had been playing this game for a long time… and you can't blame yourself for falling in love with a person… "created," so to speak, for you to fall in love with."

"But Pa… me falling in love with her was the reason you got dragged into the whole mess. She knew how close we were and she thought for sure I would've told you. So they staged her abduction to keep me from coming home, so they could get it out of you."

"Except I didn't know, and you came back, and you were able to give those criminals what they deserved."

"…But two good men died, and I would've rather had seen everyone tried for their crimes."

"Son, you can't blame yourself. You were just one piece of a massive puzzle. They used all of us. And those men driving the stage coach chose to be there, they knew the risks. You did what you could, Mark, based on what you knew."

"Pa I… I'm so angry… and hurt… and… and confused."

"Confused about what?"

"She… she shot me in the back. And I still… somehow… Pa, why do I still love her?"

"Because love, Mark, true love, is never about what the other person does. It's about a choice you make to let that person… become a part of you, and let them take a part of your heart with them. And while you now know what Joanna really was… you still love who she pretended to be. And the hurt she caused you is going to take a long time to heal."

"Will it really ever heal, Pa?"

"It will take time, but it will. And one day you will find the one woman that was actually created for you, and you will settle down, and get married, and I hope to one day see little McCain feet running across this porch."

There was a long pause as Mark looked out across the land, then back at Lucas.

"…Me too, Pa. Me too." Mark let out a heavy sigh as he started to stand. "Pa, would you mind if we rode into town? I think Micah would appreciate hearing the whole story."

"As long as you really think you're alright."

"I will be, Pa," Mark said with a nod. "Just as soon as we get to Doc's and get some of that pain medication; my shoulder is killing me."

"Come on, Son," Lucas laughed as he slapped Mark's good shoulder. "Let's go."

After stopping at Doc's for the medicine, Lucas and Mark headed to Micah's office where Mark gave Micah a long, detailed explanation of what had really been going on. Micah was beside himself at the information Mark divulged, but tried to not react, seeing how hard it was for Mark to be talking about everything that had happened.

"Micah, I do have one request," Mark said after he had finished explaining. "…I'd prefer if we keep this between the three of us, and Tom, of course. Joanna's… well she's buried and… and I don't see much reason to tell everyone what she really was. I don't think… I don't think I could take everyone else knowing."

"I won't say a word," Micah promised. "Now about the letter of resignation you left on my desk. Mark, I know you really didn't mean what you said…"

"I don't know if I meant it or not, Micah. Doc won't let me stand shift for a few weeks anyway and… and I have a lot I need to sort through. I'm not sure… I'm not sure if I can put that badge on again and face the people of North Fork as their deputy, knowing that my judgement of character… or lack thereof, could have resulted in the assassination of the president… under different circumstances."

"But there weren't different circumstances, Mark," Lucas tried to tell his son.

"I know, but… Micah, Pa… please give me a few weeks. This is something I really do need to figure out on my own."

Lucas slowly nodded as Micah reluctantly agreed.

"Alright, Mark. Just know if I get beat up over at Sweeney's it's your fault…" Micah quipped.

"Don't worry, I think we took care of that problem weekend before last."

Over the next several weeks, Lucas tried to give Mark time and tried not to bring up deputing. However, he couldn't completely avoid the subject. When he would hint around at it, Mark would simply say he was still thinking about it.

The day before thanksgiving, Mark rode to town for Lucas and picked up some ingredients they had run out of at the ranch. After dropping by the general store, Mark stopped by the hotel to say hello to Lou.

"Well, if it isn't North Fork's favorite deputy," Lou gleefully greeted from behind the desk.

"Lou, I'm not a deputy anymore, you know that."

"I've never known a McCain ta back down from a challenge, and I can't see ya doin' that now. You'll come around. Mark, this town needs ya."

"Are you and Micah still coming out to the ranch tomorrow?"

"We certainly are, though I do wish you and your Pa would let me help with somethin'."

"It's alright, we've got it all taken care of. I better be getting back and give Pa a hand."

"Oh, Mark, I almost forgot." Lou turned around and grabbed an envelope before handing it to Mark. "This came in for ya a few days ago."

"Thanks, Lou," Mark answered as he accepted the letter. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Have a good day."

Mark left the hotel and looked for the return address on the envelope. It was from a Mary Huntington of Las Cruces. Mark wondered if it was a friend of his Pa's, but it was addressed to him… "Deputy Mark McCain." Mark was just getting ready to open the letter when he heard someone calling his name. He looked up to see Stephan Griswold walking towards him.

"Afternoon, Mr. Griswold," Mark greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"Mark, I'm glad I ran into you. The children have today and the rest of the week off and I decided to get caught up on some extra work at the schoolhouse. I was cleaning out some old drawers and I came upon a project Miss Pierce had assigned to the students. I think you might be interested at seeing that assignment."

"What is it?" Mark asked.

"I think you best see for yourself," Griswold replied with a smile. "I have some errands to attend to, but the school is unlocked and the assignments I am referring to are on the top of my desk, you will see them. Have a good day!"

Before Mark could ask any questions, Stephan briskly walked away. His curiosity had been piqued, but… he hadn't been back to the school since Joanna died. Mark stood debating with himself until he finally gave in and walked to the school. He stopped in front of the schoolhouse doors, taking in a deep breath as he stepped inside. To his surprise, there wasn't an overwhelming sense of anything when he entered the building. It was finally back to just being the school… not a part of his ordeal with Joanna.

Mark walked to the desk and sat down in the chair as he picked up the stack of papers. He read the title of the first paper, now remembering Joanna telling him about this project. "Who I Want to be Like when I Grow Up…"

Mark read through several of the papers, smiling at the idea that several of the boys had picked him as their subject. Joanna was right, they had been watching him, but for the most part, Mark simply saw boyhood excitement about wearing a badge. …Until he reached Jeffery Turner's paper.

'_Who I Want to be Like when I Grow Up, by Jeffery Turner,_' Mark read to himself. '_All throughout history, there have been powerful, great men. Presidents, kings, generals, and many men like them. They hold a title that demands respect and displays authority, but in the end, it's never the title that counts. In the end, once their term of office is ended, once they retire from the military, or pass their crown on to the next in line, their title, "who they were," then disappears, and all that is left is the character that man had. When I think about who I want to be like when I grow up, I try not to think about what they do for a job or how exciting their life seems to be, because in the end, none of that really lasts. When I think about the man I want to be like when I grow up, I think of his honor, his courage, and his loyalty. Those three words, honor, courage, and loyalty, are exactly what I see when I look at the man I want to be like: Deputy Mark McCain. _

_Deputy McCain may hold a title, but as a man of integrity, he knows that the title, "deputy," is merely a word. He lives his life displaying exactly what a deputy should be: reliable, trustworthy, and a true gentleman; but that is because he was those things before he put on a badge. I've known Deputy McCain my whole life, and as I got older, I watched him become a man. I've watched him and his Pa go through some pretty rough things, but he never gave up. When I grow up, that's exactly the type of man I want to be. I want to be a man that respects authority, and a man that knows when to take leadership. A man that acts like a man, but never acts too old to relate with the younger generation. A man that takes a bullet in the line of duty, and is willing to put his badge back on again. A man that is confident in himself, but never too full of pride to ask for help. A man that doesn't ignore his mistakes, but learns from them and allows those mistakes to shape him. No matter what I __do_ _when I grow up, I want to be just like Deputy Mark McCain.'_

Mark leaned back in the chair as he placed the paper back on his former teacher's desk. Not sure what to make of it, Mark sat at the desk for a long time until finally getting up and leaving the school. He knew what the voice inside of him was telling him to do, but instead, he rode back to the ranch.

That evening after he had finished helping Lucas with the dishes, Mark sat in the front room as Lucas sat at the table working on the books. Remembering the letter he had received earlier, Mark pulled the envelope out and opened it.

'_Dear Deputy McCain,_

_My name is Mary Huntington, which probably has no meaning to you. However, you may remember my little boy, Josiah, who you so graciously "deputized," on a train from Albuquerque in August. I hope you don't mind me asking the conductor about you, but once I explained why I wanted your information, he agreed to tell me who you were and where you were from._

_Deputy McCain, two weeks before you met my son, his father was killed in a mining accident. We were on that train traveling in order to move in with my sister. I could never get out of Josiah what exactly was said between the two of you, but Deputy, you gave me my little boy back. After the accident, Josiah became afraid of everyone and everything. I could hardly get him to talk, let alone smile much or play with other children. After our meeting on that train, my son was a completely different person. The only thing I could get from him was that you had said it was alright to be scared, as long as you faced your fears. I could never have gotten through to my boy as you have, and am sincerely grateful for the time you spent talking to my son. You are a good man, Deputy McCain, and the world needs more lawmen like yourself. Men who have a healthy amount of fear, and a whole lot of courage. Men who are never too proud to help someone in need; men who are willing to do the right thing, even when they don't have to._

_Eternally grateful,_

_Mary Huntington.'_

"Alright," Mark whispered, "I get it…"

"What?" Lucas called, looking up from his books.

"Nothin'. Just talking to myself."

**26MC26**

Mark saw Micah and Lou pull up in the buggy and went outside to greet them. He helped Lou down from the buggy before she headed inside.

"You mind taking care of the buggy, Mark?" Micah asked.

"No problem," Mark answered as he took the reigns. "But could I talk to you for a minute in the barn?"

"Sure thing."

Micah followed Mark to the barn and where Mark started to take care of the horse.

"Micah, I owe you an apology. It wasn't right for me to just quit like that, and I'm sorry."

"Mark, you were going through a lot, you don't need to apologize. I can understand how much pressure you felt because of the badge."

"The badge really had nothing to do with it though. I was scared of making another mistake. I was afraid of being a bad lawman. Of disappointing you, and Pa, and myself. Joanna did do a good job of acting, but I also let myself get much to close to her much too soon. I started worrying that I'd make the same mistake again and trust the wrong person. I didn't trust myself anymore to make good decisions as your deputy. I didn't trust myself to take care of the town."

"But?"

"But two boys reminded me that it's alright to make mistakes, as long as you learn from them. That it's alright to be scared, as long as you're willing to face what you're scared of. North Fork's my home and the people of North Fork are like my family. I want to do what I can to help protect them, even if I'm scared of messing up again."

"You never "messed up" in the first place, Mark."

"That's debatable, but I appreciate what you're saying. And I know I can learn from what happened and use it to make myself a better lawman, instead of leaving the fear inside of me un-faced."

"Well then, Deputy, how do you feel about watching "your" town tonight?"

"It'd feel good, Micah. Really good."

"I thought you'd say that."

Mark caught the object Micah had tossed him. A silver badge, with "DEPUTY" stamped on it.

"What's this?"

"Seeing as how you're coming up on two years as my deputy, I figured it was about time to give you something a little more… permanent than those two ounce stars."

"But how'd you know to bring it today?"

"Stephan told me about Jeffery's paper and… I had a feeling we'd be talking today."

"Thanks, Micah."

After the circuit preacher, the Grady's, and a few other towns folk arrived at the ranch, they started the thanksgiving meal. After everyone had left, Mark helped Lucas finish cleaning up. When they were done, Mark started out the front door.

"Where are you going, Mark?"

"Well I figure if I'm gonna stand shift tonight, I better get the barn chores done so I can get to town on time."

Lucas smiled as Mark left the house, then walked into the bedroom and retrieved a box from the closet. He waited for Mark to come back in and handed it to his son.

"What is it?"

"Seems no matter how old you get, I'm still picking up after you."

Confused, Mark lifted the lid of the box to see his Winchester rifle inside.

"But how…?"

"I went back looking for it, but I didn't want to push you. When I saw you and Micah talking this afternoon, I was pretty sure about what you were talking about, but I wasn't positive, so I waited until you said something. I don't think it'd look quite right, you walking the town with your .22."

"Thanks, Pa. It really means a lot."

"I'm proud of you, Son."

That night, Mark confidently walked the streets of North Fork, glad to be back where he belonged. After returning to the office, Mark tried to get Micah caught up on paperwork and finally gave up well after the street lamps had been lit.

Shortly after midnight, Mark was roused by a knock on the door. He opened it, and exchanged understanding looks with the person standing on the boardwalk. Grabbing his hat and rifle, Mark left the office and headed to Sweeney's.

— THE END —

For this story, I borrowed several characters from throughout the five seasons of, "The Rifleman."

Of course, Lucas and Mark McCain, starting their 168 episodes with, "The Sharpshooter."

Micah Torrence, the town marshal, was introduced in episode 4, "The Marshal."

Nils Swenson is the town's blacksmith. However, several different actors played him and his name has been spelled several different ways by the script writers. When I write my stories, I always envision Joe Higgins who began playing Nils in episode 100, "Dark Day at North Fork."

Doc Burrage was another regular character whose role was filled by several different actors. I usually envision Ralph Moody, but for this story, I'd go with Jack Kruschen who played Doc in episode 77, "Trail of Hate," and episode 82, "Baranca."

Lou Mallory owns the hotel and general store, and is introduced in episode 142, "Lou Mallory."

Lorrie is only mentioned in this story, but introduced in episode 168, "Old Tony." She has eyes for Mark.

John Hamilton, president of the bank, is first introduced in episode 8, "The Safe Guard."

Billy Davis and Stephan Griswold were both introduced in episode 86, "The Schoolmaster." Billy and Mark ditched school leading to Mark being trapped after a cave-in after the new teacher, Stephan Griswold, and Mark butt heads.

Freddy Toomey, another classmate, is credited in episode 23, "The Second Witness."

Senator Borden, again only mentioned, was in episode 149, "The Assailants." Mark saves the day with his slingshot and gets his first rifle in the next episode... maybe this is why Lucas finally realized Mark was old enough?

Sweeney owns the saloon and was also introduced in episode 4, "The Marshal."

Oat Jackford "welcomed" the McCains in episode 2, "Home Ranch," by trying to force Lucas off the land.

Amos Blaine was the telegraph clerk. Another character from episode 149, "The Assailants."

Tom Benton, Lucas's former army captain turned federal agent, is introduced in episode 74, "Meeting at Midnight."

Abby Stryker, a Deaf-mute, is introduced in episode 127, "The Quiet Fear," as the daughter of a friend of Lucas's. In the episode she meets Brice Hornsby and they are taken with each other. I've taken the liberty of assuming the two got married after Abby and her father returned to North Fork.

"The Rifleman" is owned by four-star productions. No copyright infringement meant. Written for entertainment purposes only with no intent or result of financial gain.


End file.
